Musei Civici Caltagirone

Caltagirone is the capital of Sicilian ceramics. The Arabs were to call it from the translation of Kalat to Giarun, that hill of the vessels. The ancient Byzantine village introduced innovative technologies for the clay work. In addition to the Arabs, even the Genoese, the Normans, the Aragonese and the Spanish lived Caltagirone In 1693 a disastrous earthquake destroyed it and contributed to its reconstruction architects like Gagliardi, Battle, Bonaiuto, who in 1700 gave the city the baroque tones that still preserves today. At that Caltagirone reconstruction it must insert its historical center, along with seven other municipalities in the Val di Noto, in the narrow list of World Heritage sites protected by UNESCO. The Town Hall Square is characterized by the Town Hall façade redesigned by architect Giambattista Nicastro, side stands the gallery "Luigi Sturzo", ancient senatorial house transformed into theater and now public place used for cultural meetings. On the other side of the square, in via Duomo, it stands the building of the Court Capitaniale, headquarters of the Courts of Justice and Public Archives, one of the few buildings that survived the earthquake. Today the Court Capitaniale at number 7, houses the rooms for temporary exhibitions of the MACC-Museum of Contemporary Art. the balcony eighteenth-century Palazzo Bonanno of Polino, with characteristic corbels, lies partly on the square. A few dozen meters from the Town Hall you can admire the Scala Santa Maria del Monte. A ranking of 100 art experts, in 2004, he placed second among the most beautiful staircases of Italy and eighth among European ones. Finally, in 2005, a survey of the marketing ranks third among the ideal location to shoot the drama. Latest award, but only in order of time, was the choice, right in Caltagirone, as one of the symbols of the island of Sicily in the advertising campaign in the world. Continuing along Via Luigi Sturzo, meet the churches of St. Dominic and Blessed Saviour; the Magnolia building, particularly for floral facade in terracotta; the mausoleum of Don Luigi Sturzo, which houses the remains, born in Caltagirone and the city's mayor for 15 years. The path continues on to number 167, with the neoclassical facade of the Hospital of Women, which now houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and continues to the Church of St George, founded around 1000 by the Genoese community. Turning back toward the square, on Via Principe Amedeo, overlooking the Church of the Jesuit College. Nearby, in Piazza Umberto I, there are: the Cathedral of San Giuliano realized by Xavier Fragapane art nouveau; the Christmas pawnshop Bonaiuto, 700; by side, in via Emanuele Taranto, Palazzo Libertini of San Marco, at number 14, the seat of the Department of Museums and Art Gallery Cicivi Luigi Sturzo; to follow the Palazzo Crescimanno-Gravina.Imboccando the Via Roma, at number 10, you will come across in the Bourbon Prison, also of the '700, which houses the old art collections of the Museum of the same name; continuing, the San Francesco Bridge, built between 500 and 600; the Palace of St. Elias; Old Round of the eighteenth century; the north of the Town Park entrance, which is one of the largest public gardens in Italy, designed by Giovanbattista Filippo Basile; The Balcony Ventimiglia and along the Via Roma, the "Teatrino" the '700. To the southeast of the city lie the "Fontanoni" dell'Acquanova, built in 1608 by Gian Domenico Gagini and remained intact after the earthquake. In the new area of ​​Caltagirone fall the Church of Santa Maria of Jesus with the "Madonna della Catena", a masterpiece by Antonello Gagini and a short distance, the wider system of stately homes, including Villa Patti, seat of the Museum of Historical Villas and Caltagirone Sicilian. Going back and forth along the P.pessa Maria Jose, he meets the former city library, home of the International Museum of the Nativity which offers numerous cribs, donated by the lawyer Luigi Colaleo and exhibited in rotation. For environmental tourism enthusiasts, it is suggestive of Santo Pietro woods.