During the Spanish domination, Messina experienced a massive populationincrease. As custom demanded at the time in all great cities both European andItalian, it was structured as if it were a scenography or a theatre – a magnificentbackground where a play of the powers could take place. The city itself became atheatre to the eye of spectators, and travellers arriving from the sea. The vision ofthe “Palazzata” (a crescent of marble palaces), characterised by all its monumentalpatrician buildings with their decorated entrances and gateways to the city, wasamazing.When, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Emanuele Filiberto expressedhis desire to have the crescent built, the most powerful, noble familiesresponded zealously to the governmental proposal and seized the opportunity tooccupy that great space, which was both desirable and privileged. It would bethe mark of the city, the “honra”, the symbol of the city and its governing class.Unmistakably, that was meant to be a political strategy by the people of Messinatowards the city of Palermo. Indeed, due to its richness, Messina had always hadthe political ambitions to become the other “capital city”. However, its tragic revolt,occurred in 1674-78, against the Spanish Crown, resulted in a bloody suppressionof the opponents, which led to the loss of the previously granted privileges. Althoughthe “Palazzata Operation” did not succeed from a political point of view,the classic scene remained the symbol of the city in paintings and literature fromthat day forward.
Messina e la honra della «Palazzata » nel Seicento
CALABRESE, MARIA CONCETTA
2015-01-01
Abstract
During the Spanish domination, Messina experienced a massive populationincrease. As custom demanded at the time in all great cities both European andItalian, it was structured as if it were a scenography or a theatre – a magnificentbackground where a play of the powers could take place. The city itself became atheatre to the eye of spectators, and travellers arriving from the sea. The vision ofthe “Palazzata” (a crescent of marble palaces), characterised by all its monumentalpatrician buildings with their decorated entrances and gateways to the city, wasamazing.When, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Emanuele Filiberto expressedhis desire to have the crescent built, the most powerful, noble familiesresponded zealously to the governmental proposal and seized the opportunity tooccupy that great space, which was both desirable and privileged. It would bethe mark of the city, the “honra”, the symbol of the city and its governing class.Unmistakably, that was meant to be a political strategy by the people of Messinatowards the city of Palermo. Indeed, due to its richness, Messina had always hadthe political ambitions to become the other “capital city”. However, its tragic revolt,occurred in 1674-78, against the Spanish Crown, resulted in a bloody suppressionof the opponents, which led to the loss of the previously granted privileges. Althoughthe “Palazzata Operation” did not succeed from a political point of view,the classic scene remained the symbol of the city in paintings and literature fromthat day forward.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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