Palazzo Ravaschieri Fieschi della Torre
Encyclopedia
Palazzo Ravaschieri Fieschi della Torre or Palazzo Ravaschieri Fieschi-del Giudice is a 16th century noble palace in the historical center of Belmonte Calabro
in the province of Cosenza
, Calabria
, southern Italy
.
Constructed between 1639 and 1640 on the instructions of Don Orazio Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi, 1st Prince of Belmonte
, after the devastating earthquake of 1638, the palazzo has panoramic views over the Tyrrhenian Sea
and of the coastal plain of Marina di Belmonte. It was the official residence of the Ravaschieri Fieschi family, Princes of Belmonte during their sojourns in Belmonte. The palace was built to assist in the defence of the Tyrrhenian seacoast
from Saracen
invasion. The palace was acquired in 1798 by the del Giudice family, and during the Siege of Belmonte (1806), Tommaso del Giudice was killed by the Jacobins
and his pregnant consort was hung from the windowsill of the palace by the mob. The window was thereafter blocked up, and remained so until the 1970s.
The palace takes the form of an “open U” giving onto a courtyard in which the prince's armoury and stables were located. Below the palace, along perimeter walls, there is a garden, from which runs an underground secret passage from the palace to the Palace of Rivellino
at Marina di Belmonte.
Belmonte Calabro
Belmonte Calabro, known simply as Belmonte prior to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria...
in the province of Cosenza
Province of Cosenza
The Province of Cosenza is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza.It has an area of 6,650 km², and a total population of 733,797 . It is the biggest Calabrian Province...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Constructed between 1639 and 1640 on the instructions of Don Orazio Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi, 1st Prince of Belmonte
Don Orazio Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi, 1st Prince of Belmonte
Orazio Giovan Battista Ravaschieri Fieschi was a wealthy nobleman and patrician of Genoa descending from the Fieschi, Counts Palatine of Lavagna, in what is now Liguria...
, after the devastating earthquake of 1638, the palazzo has panoramic views over the Tyrrhenian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
and of the coastal plain of Marina di Belmonte. It was the official residence of the Ravaschieri Fieschi family, Princes of Belmonte during their sojourns in Belmonte. The palace was built to assist in the defence of the Tyrrhenian seacoast
Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.-Geography:The sea is bounded by Corsica and Sardinia , Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, Basilicata and Calabria and Sicily ....
from Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
invasion. The palace was acquired in 1798 by the del Giudice family, and during the Siege of Belmonte (1806), Tommaso del Giudice was killed by the Jacobins
Jacobin (politics)
A Jacobin , in the context of the French Revolution, was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary far-left political movement. The Jacobin Club was the most famous political club of the French Revolution. So called from the Dominican convent where they originally met, in the Rue St. Jacques ,...
and his pregnant consort was hung from the windowsill of the palace by the mob. The window was thereafter blocked up, and remained so until the 1970s.
The palace takes the form of an “open U” giving onto a courtyard in which the prince's armoury and stables were located. Below the palace, along perimeter walls, there is a garden, from which runs an underground secret passage from the palace to the Palace of Rivellino
Palace of Rivellino
Palazzo Rivellino, also called Rivellino, is a historical building in the municipality of Belmonte Calabro, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, southern Italy....
at Marina di Belmonte.