Villa Giulia (Palermo)
Encyclopedia
The Villa Giulia or Villa del Popolo is a park in Palermo
, lying to the east of the botannical gardens. The park was commissioned by magistrate D. Antonino La Grua e Talamanca, marquis of Regalmici in 1777 with inspiration from Giovanni Meli. Construction began that year, completing in 1778. It was later enlarged in 1866. Designed by Nicolò Palma and named after Giulia Guevara, it was Palmero's first public park.
. It is permanently closed so cannot be used for access to the garden. The primary entrance, located on Lincoln street, is less developed.
At the heart of the villa is the dodecahedron fountain. This consists of a sculpture composed of a dodecahedron shaped marble
clock created by the mathematician Lorenzo Federici, each face of the dodecahedron featuring a sundial
. This is supported by a statue of Atlas
by Ignazio Marabitti
, set in the centre of a circular fountain. Decorations surrounding the fountain consist of various metal sculptures.
Around the central fountain are four exedra
, these were designed by Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda and intended to be used for musical performances. The entire central square was originally used for musical and theatrical entertainment.
The four corners contained round seating areas (Coffee house), though only two of these still exist. The avenues of the garden are lined with various busts depicting famous people in the city's history.
Among the marble sculptures, the most significant one of note is the "Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia
" - the Genius of Palermo
which went on to become a symbol of the city, built in 1778 by Ignazio Marabitti
.
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, lying to the east of the botannical gardens. The park was commissioned by magistrate D. Antonino La Grua e Talamanca, marquis of Regalmici in 1777 with inspiration from Giovanni Meli. Construction began that year, completing in 1778. It was later enlarged in 1866. Designed by Nicolò Palma and named after Giulia Guevara, it was Palmero's first public park.
The garden
The monumental entrance overlooking the Foro Italico is of a neoclassical designNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
. It is permanently closed so cannot be used for access to the garden. The primary entrance, located on Lincoln street, is less developed.
At the heart of the villa is the dodecahedron fountain. This consists of a sculpture composed of a dodecahedron shaped marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
clock created by the mathematician Lorenzo Federici, each face of the dodecahedron featuring a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
. This is supported by a statue of Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
by Ignazio Marabitti
Ignazio Marabitti
Ignazio Marabitti was a Sicilian sculptor. He trained in Rome in the studio of Filippo della Valle, head of the Accademia di San Luca, but was mainly active in Sicily, where his most notable work is the Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia....
, set in the centre of a circular fountain. Decorations surrounding the fountain consist of various metal sculptures.
Around the central fountain are four exedra
Exedra
In architecture, an exedra is a semicircular recess or plinth, often crowned by a semi-dome, which is sometimes set into a building's facade. The original Greek sense was applied to a room that opened onto a stoa, ringed with curved high-backed stone benches, a suitable place for a philosophical...
, these were designed by Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda and intended to be used for musical performances. The entire central square was originally used for musical and theatrical entertainment.
The four corners contained round seating areas (Coffee house), though only two of these still exist. The avenues of the garden are lined with various busts depicting famous people in the city's history.
Among the marble sculptures, the most significant one of note is the "Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia
Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia
The Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia or Genio di Villa Giulia is a sculpted water fountain in the park of the Villa Giulia in Palermo. It was sculpted by Ignazio Marabitti in 1778 and shows the Genius of Palermo....
" - the Genius of Palermo
Genius of Palermo
«Panormus conca aurea suos devorat alienos nutrit»...
which went on to become a symbol of the city, built in 1778 by Ignazio Marabitti
Ignazio Marabitti
Ignazio Marabitti was a Sicilian sculptor. He trained in Rome in the studio of Filippo della Valle, head of the Accademia di San Luca, but was mainly active in Sicily, where his most notable work is the Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia....
.