Palazzo Chiaramonte
The Palazzo Chiaramonte , also called "Lo Steri", is a palace in Palermo . It is located south of the La Cala harbor basin and the Santa Maria della Catena church in Piazza Marina. The palace was built in the 14th century by the Sicilian noble family Chiaramonte . It is an excellent example of the late Gothic style of the 14th century in Sicily, which is named after him as the Chiaramont style .
history
Giovanni Chiaramonte, the old man, bought a large piece of land in 1306 and commissioned the building of the palace. In 1320 the palace was completed up to the first floor. Further work on the building was due to the orders of Manfred II. And Manfred III. executed. For example, the archway on the first floor was added by Manfred II and the wooden ceiling of the baron hall by order of Manfred III. built. The ceiling was completed by Sicilian artists in just three years from 1377 to 1380. The three painters were Cecco from Naro, Simone from Corleone and Darenu from Palermo .
The wooden ceiling is also called the medieval encyclopedia. It tells stories from the Old Testament, for example about Susanne , Salomon or Judith , or about parts of Tristan and Isolde. There are hunting scenes, the struggle between Christians and Muslims, fantastic figures that are half human, half animal, busts of noble women , Knight tournaments, geometric and floral motifs and coats of arms of noble families. The last room, the Sala delle Capriate on the top floor, was left unfinished as Andrea Chiaramonte, the last of the family, was executed on June 1, 1392 for resisting the new king. The palace passed into the possession of the Aragonese King Martin I , who died in 1409. His father Martin II took over the throne and made the "Palazzo Chiaramonte" a royal residence and a royal court.
In 1446 the Chiaramontepalast changed its name to Steri (fortress palace). In 1517 the customs offices moved in and the first renovation work began. For example, the building was provided with additional entrances and windows. In 1598, after a fire, the Royal Court of Justice was moved to the Norman Palace and three years later, in 1601, the palace became the seat of the Spanish Inquisition Court . There are still graffiti and writings of the prisoners of that time in the rooms of the palace. In 1782, by order of Viceroy Caracciolo, the court was dissolved and the palace became a refuge for the poor until 1799. Between 1800 and 1958 the offices of the Court of Palermo were located on the upper floors and the customs offices on the ground floor. Then the building was taken over by the university and restored so that it now serves as the university's rectorate.
description
The mighty building with a side length of 40 m encloses a square inner courtyard with its four wings. The twin and triple windows with column arcades, the decoration of which coined the term Chiaramont style , are particularly worth seeing . In the Sala magna, the main hall, a wooden ceiling from the 14th century with elaborate paintings and inlaid patterns has been preserved.
photos
Audience hall
graffiti
patio
Wooden ceiling on the upper floor
literature
- Brigit Carnabuci: Sicily. Greek temples, Roman villas, Norman cathedrals and baroque cities in the center of the Mediterranean (= DuMont art travel guide ). 6th, updated edition. DuMont Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2011, ISBN 978-3-7701-4385-6 .
- Otto Gärtner: Sicily. 8th edition, completely revised and redesigned. Baedeker, Ostfildern 2005, ISBN 3-8297-1047-X , p. 328.
See also
Coordinates: 38 ° 7 ′ 3.5 ″ N , 13 ° 22 ′ 12.5 ″ E
