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Photo (c)
Mauro Manmano
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Ragusa: The Castle of Donnafugata
Immersed among the carob trees and surrounded by an immense park, bought in 1982
by the Provincial Administration of Ragusa, the castle represents one of the
most interesting and spectacular destinations among the tourist itineraries of
the province.
For its rooms, furniture, external structures and the park with
its games: a rare example in the Ragusa area of a construction which has a 19th
century, late-Romantic feel, thanks to Corrado Arezzo, the baron of
Donnafugata.
Having remained closed for a few years for some essential restoration work,
it reopened in the spring of 2002, in its new guise, ready to be the constant
destination of visitors, like in years gone by.
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The name. which is Arabic in origin, is misleading. It does not, in fact, refer,
as first appearances might suggest, to a woman fleeing some tyrannical husband
or father, nor to one of the legends lingering in some popular memory, but is a
free interpretation and transcription of Ayn as Jafat (meaning Fountain of
Health) which in Sicilian dialect became Ronnafuata and so was corrupted to its
modem form.
The origins of the building, furthermore, are more recent than the name. The
oldest part (which includes the square tower) dates back to the mid-17C when the
Donnafugata fiefdom was acquired by Vincenzo Arezzo La Rocca.
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The building was
continuously altered until the early 20C, when Corrado Arezzo transformed the
façade into what can be seen today.
What is striking about the exterior of the castle is the elegant Venetian Gothic
loggia which dominates the central section of the main facade. The trefoil
arches become a recurrent motif repeated in the two-light windows throughout the
building.
GARDENS
The large garden, shaded first by large Ficus magnolioides trees then by other
Mediterranean and exotic species (succulents and cluster pines) conceals various
follies intended to charm and bemuse its visitors. Like the round temple and a
Coffee House (where refreshments could be taken), the stone maze and several
artificial caves encrusted with fake stalactites (below the temple).
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Photo (c)
Mauro Manmano
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Photo (c)
Mauro Manmano
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VILLA
The first floor is open to the public. At the top of the black stone (pietra
pece in Italian) staircase, ornamented with Neo-Classical statues, is the Salone
degli Stemmi named after the armorial crests of great Sicilian noble families
painted on the walls. Among the suites of rooms are some with delicately painted
trompe l’oeil ceilings. These include the stucco-decorated Salone degli Specchi
(namely the Hall of Mirrors), the Billiard Room and Music
Room, each with
painted landscapes projecting out beyond the walls, and the bedroom of the
Princess of Navarre, paved in black pietra pece (a bitumous limestone mined
locally from which pitch is made) and white limestone, where, it is said,
Princess Bianca was kept segregated from Count Cabrera (an anachronistic legend,
given that the princess lived in the 14C).
The Stanza del Signore and the Fumoir
are beautifully furnished; the decoration of the latter, a smoking room, being
perfectly appropriate to its function. It is papered with pipe motifs while the
ceiling is painted with medallions filled with cards and beautiful peacocks at
the corners.
The castle has been featured in the making of many famous films including the La
Giara scene in the film Chaos by the Taviani brothers.
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How to get there:
Situated in Ragusa about 20km from the city, in the direction of Santa Croce Camerina, the
Castello di Donnafugata can be reached by following the provincial road and then
turning left at the intersection indicating the direction of the castle.
See more picture of the Castle of Donnafugata
by Mauro... >>>
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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