Porta Felice

Porta Felice is a monumental city gate of Palermo. It represents the water-side entrance of the Cassaro (the main and most ancient street of the city) and is located in the zone of the Foro Italico. The gate was built in Renaissance and Baroque styles between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Porta Felice
View from the Foro Italico
General information
Architectural styleRenaissance, Baroque
LocationPalermo
CountryItaly
Coordinates38°07′11″N 13°22′16.60″E
Construction started1582
Completed1637
Design and construction
ArchitectMariano Smiriglio
View from the Cassaro

History

In 1581 the street of the Cassaro was extended in the vicinity of the sea.[1] The Viceroy of Sicily Marcantonio Colonna decided to build a monumental gate in the new water-side entrance of the Cassaro (the same thing was done on the opposite side with Porta Nuova).[1] The gate was named after the wife of Colonna, Felice Orsini.[1] On 6 July 1582 the groundbreaking ceremony took place.[1]

In the following years the construction was cut off.[2] In 1602 the new Viceroy Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, Duke of Feria, decided to resume the work.[2] The project was assigned to the senatorial architect Mariano Smiriglio.[2] When he died, in 1636, the work was assigned to Pietro Novelli.[2] In 1637 the gate was completed. In 1642 two fountains were added.[1]

During the Second world war the right pillar was almost entirely destroyed because of the bombing.[2] Later, a restoration has partially succeeded in restoring Porta Felice to its former glory.

See also

References
  1. "Gaspare Palermo, Guida istruttiva per potersi conoscere tutte le magnificenze della Città di Palermo, Volume primo, Palermo, Reale Stamperia, 1816, p. 83-92".
  2. "Le dicerie su Porta Felice".
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