Sicilian baroque is the extraordinarily animated form of baroque architecture that evolved in Sicily, which experienced a necessary boom of building following the devastating earthquake of 1693. The Sicilian Baroque is a unique form of architecture. Recognisable not just by its typical baroque curves and flourishes, but by its grinning masks and putti, and an individual flamboyance not seen elsewhere. Until recently little studied, recognised or appreciated, its Baroque gives Sicily a unique architectural individuality.
Planning
The volcanic island of Sicily off the Italian peninsular has been ruled by many different countries, civilized by the Greeks, then oppressed under the Romans, governed by Byzantines, conquered by barbarians, a Moslem emirate, a Norman duchy, a Hohenstaufen kingdom, ruled by Angevins given to Spain, then the Neapolitan Bourbons before finaly being united in the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Thus Sicilians have absorbed many cultures, and consequently the island has had a wide diversity of architecture. However the catalyst for the evolution of Sicilian baroque was the great earthquake of 1693 when Sicily was still under Spanish rule. This catastrophe decimated many of the most notable buildings, particularly in eastern parts of the island. The epicentre of the disaster was Val di Noto, where the city of Noto was completely destroyed. Other towns which suffered were Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and Ispica.
Following the quake a fast program of rebuilding was put into action but before it began in earnest some important decisions were taken which were to differentiate Sicilian towns permanently from most other European urban developments. The ruling Spannish authorites decided that rather than rebuilding in the medieval style of cramped narrow streets the new rebuilding would be one of wider streets, and piazzas, often on a grid system. This was typical baroque town planning highly in fashion at the time. It was much favoured by the Portugese, who had built cities, in the baroque style, in their colonies, paricularly Brazil, since as early as 1711. However in sicily the decision was taken not just for fashion and appearance but because it would also minimise the damage to property and life likely to be caused in future quakes. In 1693 the cramped housing and streets had caused buildings to crash rather like a "house of cards". Architecturally the big advantage of this new town planning was that unlike in many Italian towns and cities, where one frequently encounters a monumental renaissance church sqeezed terrace fashion between incongruous neighbours in a narrow street. In urban baroque design one can step back and actually see the architecture a more conducive setting in retlation to its size, proportions and perspective. This is most notable in the largely rebuilt towns of Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli.
One of the best examples of this new form of urban planning can be seen at Noto, the town rebuilt approximately 10 km form its original site on Mount Alveria. The new site chosen was flatter than the old to better facilitate a linear grid like plan. The principal streets run east to west so they would benefit from a better light and a sunnier disposition.
As with all thing Sicilian the reconstruction was supervised and dominated by the aristocracy who controlled the country in a feudal system, in spite of Spannish rule, practically unchanged from the Norman era. The Duke of Camastra , one of the most senior aristocrats and Spanish Viceroy, was in charge. He allocated various of the new town according to social class. Needless to say the aristocracy (i.e. the Duke's relations and friends) were allocated the higher areas, where the air was cooler and fresher and the views finest. The church was allocated the centre, for convenience to all, and to reflect it global position Here was built the cathedral, the convents and episcopal Palazzo Vescovile. The merchants and storekeepers chose their lots on the planned wider streets, and then finally the poor were allowed the areas nobody else wanted. In this way Baroque town planning came to symbolize and reflect political authority, later its style and philosophy spread to such far away places as Annapolis, in the State of Maryland, and most notably Baron Haussmann's 19th century re-designing of Paris.
In the earthquake zone little architecture from before the disaster has survived. However the little that does (such as the church of San Sebastiano, at Acireale), suggests that it was highly decorated with scrolls, rustication and grotesque masks, perhaps this older Sicilian architecture was the inspiration for the form that baroque was to take on the island.
Once rebuilding began, the readily and cheaply available local stone provided a rich and suitable building source, especially for the delicate and sophisticated intarsia in marble. Local craftsmen were specialist in stuccowork, much stucco found on the island, especially in the Province of Palermo is by one family the Serpotta.
Thus begun the first of what has been described {footnote to Blunt} as the three phases of Sicilian baroque.
Baroque
- Main article: Baroque architecture.
Baroque architecture is a European style of design originating from 17th century Italy, flamboyant and theatrical, and richly ornamented by both sculpture, and the effect of light and shade on the building created by mass and shadow known as chiaroscuro. Baroque is not peculiar to Sicily, nor was Sicily the first plave to embrace the style or develop it.
The style was popular all over mainland Europe, and was empoyed by many of the great archtects of the day including Bernini, Christopher Wren, and Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The late 17th and early 18th century was a period of domestic change acrooss Europe, especially for sovereigns, aristocrats and church leaders, newly achieved political solidarity and stability meant they no longer had to live in impregnible castles and fortresses, thus they began to build large and elegant palaces from which to rule, more often than not baroque was the chosen style.
The style evolved differently in each country, most notably in the Germanic states, where the princly rulers began to vie with each other in the extravagance of their baroque palaces, in some countries the architecture became so peciliar to a country, patron or architect that it came to be known by that countries name, hence among many others there exists Bavarian Baroque, Naryshkin baroque and Sicilian baroque. In Bavaria the baroque employed by the Roman Catholic church became almost Russian in design with multiple towers crowned by onion domes.
In England the style attained a brief popularity through the dramatist and untrained architect John Vanbrugh. However, it was never truly to English taste, while Seatom Delaval Hall, and Blenheim Palace are described as baroque, only Castle Howard is designed in the European baroque style. English baroque was far more restrained, the European excesses of ornament being contrary to the English aristocracy's dislike of ostentation.
Early Sicilian Baroque (1690s)
As has been said the developmet of Sicily's own form of baroque architecture can be divided into three periods. This is perhaps an oversimplification as with all evolutions phases tend to overlap and become blurred. It has been said {footnote to country life article} "The buildings conceived in the wake of this disaster expressed a lighthearted freedom of decoration whose incongruous gaiety was intended, perhaps, to assuage the horror". While the style is indeed almost a celebration of joie de vivre in stone, this is unlikely to be the reason for its choice, and if it was, then the survivors of the earthquake would have been disappointed with the new buildings. As with all architectural styles the selection of style would have directly linked to current fashion. Versailles had been completed in 1688 in the baroque style, hailed almost as the eighth wonder of the world, Louis XIV's new palace was immediatly emulated across Europe by any aristocrat or sovereighn in Europe aspiring to wealth, taste, or power. Many of the aristocrats of Sicily required new homes in a hurry. It is worth noting (there were more of them per square meter than in any other state) In the 18th century it was estimated {footnote to Friederich Munter} there were 228 noble families, who provided Sicily with a ruling class consisting of 58 princes, 27 dukes, 37 marquesses, 26 Counts, 1 viscount and 79 barons— the Golden Book of the Sicilian nobility (which was last published in 1926) listed even more. In addition to these were the younger scions of the family with their courtesy titles of nobile or baron. Many of these nobles required rehousing, many that did not, envious of their friends new palatial homes decided to rebuild for themselves anyeay. This explains the wealth of building which was to take place throughout the 18th century. Thus, the new baroque building was not confined to the palazzi in the alloctaed aristocratic enclaves on the wide new boulevards of the cities, but also the country villas and estates.
The nobility immediately embraced the baroque style for the rebuilding of their new palazzi. Thus the immediate post-quake baroque buildings in Sicily are very much in the Versailles baroque mode, but executed by provincial architects. These architects obviously designing in a hurry to re-house their illustrious patrons, when it came to the ornament were too heavy handed, or did not know when to stop. The decoration became superficial, the rustications multiform and confused, However, in their defense these men, who had hitherto only been required to design bidges, and minor civic buildings, (architects rarely being employed for the construction of small houses and farm buildings) had probably only seen line drawings of the baroque architecture constructed in Italy and elsewhere. As a consequence their work lacked the flair and ingenuity, and light capriciousness of the baroque developing elsewhere in Europe.
Sicilian Baroque circa 1730
This second phase, is recognisable by the quality and sophistication of the design, architects who had studied in the great cultivated cities of Italy.
Among these architects was Giovanni Battista Vaccarini (1702-68), who arrived in c 1730, bringing with him a completely different form of baroque. He had studied under the great Roman baroque architects {cite}. In Sicily he developed the Roman ideas still further, designing unified movement and a play of curves, which would have been unacceptable in Rome itself. Vaccarini's finest works which include, the Palazzo Valle (1740-50) and the Church of S. Agata.
Sicilian Baroque circa 1760
The final completed evolution of Sicilian baroque a rcognisable style in its own right. Now it had spread beyond the earthquake zone to all Sicily. It is now once again in the hands of the local Sicilian architects themselves. These Sicilians had since the first phase now seen the rebuilding, and often studied under the master architects imported from the mainland to oversee the second phases. They were now more competent and confident in the baroque style and freed of the constraints imposed the grand architects of Naples and Rome, and with the style is so established the local the architects began to take liberties and inject their own ideas. They were also influenced by the even more intricate Rococco style beginning elsewhere to gain an ascendency over Baroque.
People had now been rehoused their earthly need catered for, attention now turned to the spiritual - the rebuilding on the large scale of cathedrals and churches. One of the greatest of the local architects of this period was Rosario Gagliardi (1698 -1762). When one looks at his cathedral of San Giorgio in Modica, and San Giorgio Church (1744-66) in Ragusa, it seems incredible that, born in Syracuse, he never travelled outside of Sicily.
In common with baroque elsewhere it is recognised by its great sweeping curves, however, in Sicily the style has a greater propensity towards bizarre and often grotesque details in the sculpting of the stone, flora and fauna mixed with putti and other dramatic masks and representation. One is often at a loss whether the architect and mason were seeking to shock or amuse the passer-by.
Barocco siciliano Antony Blunt nel suo libro "Barocco Siciliano" (1968) divide l'architettura barocca siciliana in tre grandi fasi:
Prima fase : caratterizzata dalla presenza di edifici in stile paesano, contrassegnato da grande libertà e fantasia, particolarmente nel modo di trattare il dettaglio architettonico e le decorazioni plastiche, ma francamente provinciale e spesso ingenuo. Seconda fase: caratterizzata da uno stile più elaborato, introdotto da architetti siciliani formatisi sul continente particolarmente a Roma e a Napoli. Terza fase: caratterizzata da una evoluzione dello stile romano verso una visione che più si adatta alle tradizioni e alla cultura locali. A proposito della terza fase Blunt scrive:
"Nella terza fase gli architetti locali, superando lo stadio della discendenza ideale da Roma, enucleano uno stile nuovo e in alto grado personale. Nella facciata del Duomo di Siracusa, opera di Andrea Palma, nelle chiese di Rosario Gagliardi a Noto, Ragusa e Modica, nelle ville di Tommaso Napoli a Bagheria, come in molti edifici dei centri minori, gli architetti siciliani, pur mettendo a frutto gli insegnamenti ricevuti da Roma e da Napoli, adattano questi modelli alle esigenze e alle tradizioni locali costruendo un gruppo di monumenti che possono catalogarsi fra le più alte creazioni del tardo Barocco." Nel Settecento il Barocco si diffonde in tutta la Sicilia.
Noto
Rebuilt with an orthogonal scheme, away from the destroyed town, with a chess-board structure. The architects and the handicraftsmen created a very beautiful urban centre which was given the nickname of “Stone Garden” Economic development during the Bourbon period. Architects Rosario Gagliardi, Vincenzo Sinatra and Paolo Labisi. Buildings of Noto
Palazzo Nicolaci.Palazzo Ducezio, 1742, sur un projet de Vincenzo Sinatra
Duomo (cathédrale), terminé en 1776 Palazzo San Alfano, 1730, classique Palazzo di Villadorata Church of the Collegio Church of San Domenico Church of Monte Vergine (1762) Church of San Francesco
Catania
Cathedral and close by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini. He reconstructed the façade of the cathedral between 1730 and 1736, and the town hall in 1741. Via Etnea has many baroque buildings with lava dust façades.
Palazzo Biscari. [1] this palazzo has been called the perfect example of Sicilian barok (footnote to Blunt). Constructed in the early 18th century it has been since then continually the residence of the Paternò Castello family, the Princes of Biscari
Modica
Cathedral of San Giorgio, constructed between 1702 and 1738 by Rosario Gagliardi
Syracuse
CHURCH OF SANTA CATERINA baroque church walls and ceiling covered with frescos and carvings of the saints, flora and fauna.Duomo di San Giorgio, built in 1775, designed by the architect Rosario Gagliardi from Siracusa, the principal façade is three storeys decorated by columns and pilasters. redolent of of some of the chyrches which evolved during the Bayrischen barok period.
Syracuse's Piazza Duomo has been referred to 'the most civilised urban space in Europe' (find out by whom)
- Bold and confident duomo facade is by Andrea Palma
- Luciano Ali Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco
- Ortygia numerous small palazzi, almost street architecture all have oversailing cornices and curved projecting balconies supported on ornately carved corbels and brackets giving the impression of walking among a street of wedding cakes.
Andrea Palma (1664-1730)
Palermo
Palazzo Gangi, c 1770-90 Guilio Lasso's massive and awe inspiring Quattro Canti.
Ragusa
The Cathedral Of San Giovanni Battista was built between 1718 and 1778, it has a huge façade rich in carvings and sculpture. The late date of its completion saw that the interior was displaying the first signs of the rococo style. It is divided into three aisles by columns with capitols richly sculpted and inlaid with gold.
- Church of San Giorgio: Rosario Gagliardi. designed in 1738, the neoclassical dome was not built untill 1820. In the design of this cathedral Gagliardi, rather than being cowed by the difficult terrain of the hillside site, chose to exploit it. The church towers impresivly over a massive marble staircase of some 250 steps. The tower seems to explode from the facade, accentuated by the columns and pillasters cnated against the curved walls. Above the doorways and window appetures pediments scroll and curve with a sense of freedom and movement to the design which would have been unthinkable to the second phase architects inspired by Bernini and Borromini
- Palazzo della Cancelleria.
- The Palazzo Zacco is one of the more beautiful baroque buildings of the city, its Corinthian columns support balconies of amazing wrought iron work, while supports of grotesques mock, shock or amuse the passer-by.Located in Ragusa, this baroque palazzo was built in second half of the 18th century by the Baron Melfi. It was later acquired by the Zacco family, from which it has taken the name. The building has two street facades each with with six wide balconies. At the central point of each can be found the coat of arms of the Melfi family:- a frame of acanthus leaves from which a puttino leans. The balconies (a feature of the palazzo) are notable for the differing corbels which support them, these range from putti to musicians and grotesques. The focal point of the principal facade are the three central balconies divided by columns with corinthean captals. Here the balconies are supported by images of musicians with grottesque faces.
Ferla
Church of San Sebastiano, with its seemingly animated statues decorating its portico is just one of nine churches in this small towm
Appraisal
Conclusion
As with all architectural styles eventually people tired, but in the case of baroque it was not transformed to a simpler style, but evolved into the even more ornate rococo, it was to be over 100 years from the great earthquake that and the plainer, and more restful to the eye, neo-Classical came into vogue. However in Sicily the baroque has never fallen completely out of favour as elsewhere, the style is almost part of the Sicilian identity, more than any other architectural style elsewhere in the world.
While Sicilian baroque is today recognised as an architectural style, largely due to the work of Anthony Blunt, recognised as the definituive work on the subject, much of the decay and ruinous state of preservation must fall on the polical agendas of successive socialist governments. Those remaining members of the Sicilian aristocracy who still inhabit their ancestral palazzi have for the mostpart have refrained from filling their gardens with wild animals to lure in the masses to view their homes (ironically unlike their English counterparts who spurned baroque as vulgar exess). The Princes, Marquesses, and Counts of Sicily have preferred to live in splendid isolation surrounded, often, by beauty and decay, this is not because of a disdain for the masses, or an indifference to their heritage, but more a bunker mentality, for years penalised by exhaustive taxes, it is only today they and the state are awaking up to the possibility that if action is not taken soon, it will be too late. Hence the baroque palazzi of Sicily are slowly beginning to open their doors to the eager paying public, albeit an American and British public, rather than Italian. A few years ago the Gangi Palace ballroom was alone in its status as having been a filmset, today long shrouded salons and ballrooms are hosting corporate and public events. Some palazzi are offering a bed and breakfast service, with a "dine with the Marchese" as an optional extra. Perhaps one day all the baroque palazzi of Sicily will be restored to their former splendour for all to admire. Those many palazzi whose ground floors are now let to banks and boutiques, while a beleaguerred Marchesa is isolated to the piano nobile and servant's floor with her four screaming children, as her husband earns a living abroad will be a thing of the past.
Notes
External links
References
- Hamel,Pasquale. Breve storia deela societa siciliana (1790-1980). Palermo Sellerio.
- Du Pays, A J. Guide d'Italie et Sicile. 1877. Hachette.
- Drago, Francesco Palazzolo. Famiglie nobili sicilian. Palermo. Arnaldo Forni