Palazzo Corvaja (sometimes spelt Palazzo Corvaia) is a medieval palace in

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, Italy. It was principally built at the end of the 14th century and is named after one of the oldest and most famous families of Taormina, which owned it from 1538 to 1945. On four main floors and constructed around a courtyard, the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

palazzo is

crenellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

. The principal floor has fenestration of pairs of lancet windows divided by columns. The courtyard walls are decorated by

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s illustrating The Creation. Today the palazzo is used as an exhibition centre. Palazzo Corvaja at night

History

Corvaja Palace, which is located in Piazza Badia at right angles to the church of

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...

, The origins of the palazzo incorporate an early Norman fortress dating from the 12th-14th century, which in turn was constructed on Roman foundations. It was subsequently added to over various periods up until the 15th century. Its main body is an Norman-style

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

, and it has an inner courtyard where the Gothic influence can be seen in the arched windows and doorways. A 13th century staircase leads up to the first floor and an ornamental balcony which overlooks the courtyard. In 1410, Corvaja Palace housed the Sicilian Parliament.Taormina in Tasca'', by Dario Flaccovio Editore, p. 50 It was renovated in 1945 by Armando Dillo, and as of 2009 it is the seat for the ''Azienda Autonoma Soggiorno e Turismo''. Corvaja palace 2011

References

Sources

* ''Taormina in Tasca'', published by Dario Flaccovio Editore, June 2003

External links

Image of Palazzo Corvaja
{{Coord, 37, 51, 13.88, N, 15, 17, 18.30, E, region:IT_scale:5000_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in the 10th century Corvaia Taormina Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century Medieval Italian architecture 14th-century establishments in Italy 10th-century establishments in Italy