Description
Book SynopsisThe catastrophic Sicilian earthquake of 1693 led to the rebuilding of over 60 towns in the island’s south-west. The rebuilding extended into the eighteenth century and gave opportunities for the reassertion and the transformation of power relations. Although eight of the towns are now protected by UNESCO, the remarkable architecture resulting from this rebuilding is little known outside Sicily.
This is the first book-length study in English of this interesting area of early modern architecture. Rather than seek to address all of the towns, five case studies discuss key aspects of the rebuilding by approaching the architecture from different scales, from that of a whole town to parts of a town, or single buildings, or parts of buildings and their decoration. Each case study also investigates a different theoretical assumption in architecture, including ideas of the Baroque, rational planning, and the relegation of decoration in architectural discourse.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction. The Val di Noto Rebuilding. Disaster and Opportunity
Chapter One. Sicily as a Colonial Possession c. 1600–1750. Subordination and Resistance
Chapter Two. The Hexagonal Towns of Avola and Grammichele. Urbanism, Fortification and Coercion
Chapter Three. The Palaces of Noto. Ornament, Order, and Opportunism
Chapter Four. The Palazzo Biscari, Catania. Lightness, Refinement and Distinction
Chapter Five. The Palazzo Beneventano, Scicli. Trauma and Violence
Chapter Six. The Palaces of Ragusa. Abundance, Famine and the Grotesque
Conclusion. Architecture and the Naturalisation of Power
Appendix. Glossary
List of Illustrations
Bibliography
Index
