J - 55 : Sicilian Baroque

hbanziger
11 minutes ago
4 min read

One of the many beautiful Baroque Fountains in Noto at the Piazza San Francesco

Whether you walk through Syracuse, Catania, Noto, Modica or Ragusa, you are surrounded by churches and palaces in Spanish Baroque Sicilian Style or simply Sicilian Baroque. What distinguishes these buildings from their European cousins is the exuberance, the lavish use of decorations and local materials. In Sicily's south, they are made from honey-coloured tufa. Further north, in Catania, dark stones from the Etna prevail. The city architecture is dominated by flamboyant churches and palaces. A modern, rectangular street grid with broad avenues and long streets makes communication easy.

Noto's impressive Duomo, the Catedrale di San Nicolo, was only completed in 1776

Opposite the Catedrale stands the Palazzo Ducale - the Groundfloor was built 1746 - 1830

What we are looking at and what is now UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the result of a devastating earthquake which flattened Sicily's east in 1693. It was the strongest quake recorded in Italy's history with a magnitude of estimated 7.4 on the Richter scale. More than 70 towns were destroyed. Around 60'000 people lost their lives when disaster struck at 21.00 on 11 January 1693. Most people were alread in bed. The collapsing buildings buried them alive. Homes caught fire from the burning stoves. What had not been destroyed by the tremor was now consumed by fire. A tsunami with waves of 1 - 8 meters in hight flooded the coastal areas. The heart breaking stories of the demise of so many cities made the rounds in Europe. Catania alone lost two thirds of its population. Augusta was completely flattened by the tsunami. It was a pre-taste to Lisbon's earthquake in 1755.

The Earthquake had its Epicenter off Sicily's Coast - the Tsunami was triggered by an under water landslide - Severness of the Quake is measured on the Mercalli Scale

Rescue services and fire brigades as we know them today, did not exist. It must have been eerily quiet after the ground came to a rest after 4 trembling minures. The ruins smoldered in dust and and smoke from the burning houses. The horror must have been unimaginable for the survivors who did not know what struck them. Today we know that Sicily's east coast is next to a subduction zone where the African continental plate is subducting beneath the European plate. Many of these subduction zones are today identified in details. Sensors are deployed along the entire length. The big earthquake on 11th January 1693 was preceeded by a smaller one two days earlier. Today such warnings would be properly interpreted.

Sicily's Subduction Zones are well researched today

Against all odds, Sicily's towns were quickly rebuilt. Sicily was still the front line of the Christian world to the Ottoman Empire. The many damaged Spanish star-shaped fortresses were quickly repaired. Sicily was directly governed by Spain until 1713. The Sicilian nobility, the real rulers of the island, made a major effort in order not to be outdone by the Kings from faraway Madrid. To preserve their independence, families like the Dukes of Camastra or the Princes of Biscari contributed vast amounts of money. So did the wealthy families of Noto and Ragusa. Last but not least, the wealthy monastic orders financed the restoration and resuraction of many basilicas and cathedrals. The generous tax relieve of the Spanish Crown was gladly accepted - but by investing heavily, the local nobility made clear who called the shots.

One of Noto's new Baroque Town Gates

The Porto Reale o Ferdinandea

They could of course afford their generosity. Sicily was Spain's bread basket and a major supplier of olive oil to the Empire. We should not forget that olive oil played a far more important role than today. We use it mostly for cooking. 300 years agi, olive oil was burnt for illumination, was the main ingredient for soap (Savon de Marseille), was used for medical treatments and as a beauty product. Sicily's trade balance thus looked fare better than it does today - without tourism Sicily's finances today would be deeply in the red.

View from the Palazzo Nicolaci dei Principi di Villadorata on Nolo's Piazza del Duomo

Sicilian Baroque is rather prominent in the history of art. Though, if failed to attract a lot of visitors. Also, the heavy handed protection by Italian Heritage has deterred many foreign investors from buying properties and doing them up. It is just too big a hassle. The result is remarkably visible. Public sites and places look beautiful and well maintained. But as soon as you go into the side alleys, there are lots of walled up buildings and places for sale. The one's which are still inhabited could do with some serious renovation money. Walking through these back streets you feel tempted to buy one of the smaller palaces and do it up. Upon further thought though, you wonder why nobody else was doing it and stay away.