Palazzo degli Elefanti
Coordinates: 37 ° 30 ′ 8.7 ″ N , 15 ° 5 ′ 11.7 ″ E
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The Palazzo degli Elefanti is the seat of the town hall of the city of Catania in Sicily and is therefore also called Palazzo Municipale .
The palazzo
The Palazzo Municipale of Catania was rebuilt by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini in 1735 after the Etna eruption in 1669 and the 1693 earthquake . The ground floor had already begun when he took over the construction management and so it shows the rustification characteristic of the early Catania style.
Vaccarini's windows and the upper floor were given completely different styles. The pilasters are raised, but without rustification, and have a cornice , as was common in contemporary Rome . The windows also correspond to the Roman model. The impression of Roman monumentality is heightened by the mighty entrance portal of the palazzo, whose free-standing double columns are crowned by a balcony on the first floor. The city's coat of arms can be seen above it.
From this balcony the illustrious society of Catania could take part in the religious festivals, in the “cantate” and in the fireworks in honor of Saint Agatha , the patron saint of Catania. In the work I Viceré by the writer Federico De Roberto (1861–1927) one could read: ... the fireworks that had been paid for by the prince began; in the midst of the smoke the fireworks lit up again and again and at ever shorter intervals, like the barrage of a regiment ...
The elephant fountain
In front of the Palazzo Municipale, Vaccarini built a fountain in 1736, which was adorned with an obelisk-bearing elephant, the coat of arms and symbol of the city of Catania.
The idea for this monument goes back to Gian Lorenzo Bernini's elephants in front of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. While there the base consists of a simple cuboid and the main interest is directed to the movement of the animal, the elephant from Catania is decorated with eye-catching ornaments in the form of an obelisk .
Vaccarini accidentally discovered the elephant in the ruins of the ruined city. It dates from Roman times and probably formed the end of a racetrack. The obelisk was also found by chance. He comes from Egypt and shows symbols of the Isis cult . Vaccarini equipped the elephant made of black lava rock with a saddlecloth made of white marble and built the obelisk on it. A cross was placed on the top as a symbol of Christianity in order to protect the city against further natural disasters.
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- ↑ Anthony Blunt : Sicilian Baroque. Ariel, Frankfurt am Main 1972, ISBN 3-7606-0104-9 .