Palazzo Battaglia Giampiccolo is a noble residence in Ragusa built in the first half of the 18th century. This splendid building is characterized by having two main façades, each one a magnificent expression of the skill of local stonemasons. The palace is one of the monuments that are part of the UNESCO serial site “Late Baroque Town of the Val di Noto”.
History of Battaglia Giampiccolo Palace in Ragusa
The construction of Palazzo Battaglia Giampiccolo began in 1724, when Baron Battaglia di Torrevecchia commissioned the architect Giuseppe Recupero from Acireale. In 1727, the work was taken over by the Cultraro family, local master masons who also built the dome of the Cathedral of San Giorgio and some decorations in the church of Santa Maria dell’Itria in Ragusa. Three years later, the façade overlooking Via Orphanage was completed. In 1748, Giovanni Paolo, son of the Baron Battaglia di Torrevecchia, decided to enlarge the palace. Thus began the construction of the northern wing, the façade of which faces Via Chiaramonte. Today the palace is privately owned, so it is not possible to visit it freely.
Interesting fact: Palazzo Battaglia was also chosen as the setting for an episode of Commissario Montalbano. In The Overnight Kidnapper, it is an antique shop where a mysterious fire breaks out.
Architecture of Palazzo Battaglia Giampiccolo in Ragusa
The uniqueness of the Battaglia Giampiccolo Palace is that it has two facades, both with original and elegant architectural solutions. Inside, the palace has been modified several times over the centuries. Some rooms still have the traditional barrel and cross vaults in limestone or reed and plaster. The floors, on the other hand, are made of limestone with inlays of pitch or Caltagirone ceramics. The walls are decorated with stucco and frescoes and the period furniture is still preserved.
The façade on Via Orfanotrofio
The façade of Palazzo Battaglia, visible from via Orfanotrofio, is characterized by two rusticated pilasters, the motif of which is also taken up by the central entrance door. On the upper floor we can admire the beautiful central balcony, surmounted by a large coat of arms of the nobility, added at the end of the 18th century. It represents a lion and a prancing horse, the heraldic symbols of the two families: Battaglia di Torrevecchia and Giampiccolo di Cammarana. The two balconies at the top and the two windows at the bottom, with a skillful interplay of full and empty spaces, evenly fill the façade, which is defined at the top by a wide and regular string course.
The façade on Via Chiaramonte
The other façade of Palazzo Battaglia, visible from via Chiaramonte, is also a testimony to the skill of the Cultraro stonemasons. The façade is divided into four levels: the lower one contained the storerooms and stables, then the mezzanine, the “piano nobile”, and finally the rooms for guests and servants. The most important architectural elements are concentrated in the central band. At the bottom there is a portal with a round arch and at the top there is a large balcony supported by elegant scrolls. The two elements are connected by a very original decorative element in the center of which is an oval window decorated with garlands of leaves. On the balcony, there are two French doors with rich moldings, in the middle of which there is a window with an unusual heart shape.
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