Page 485 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

introducing southern it al y  483

Where to See the Architecture
The best places to see and churches of Naples and Sicily,
Romanesque architecture are and by the deeply encrusted
Puglia and the cathedral cities of ornamentation found on church
northwestern Sicily. Puglia’s best façades in Lecce (pp516–17), in
churches are those at Trani (see Puglia. In Sicily, the Baroque of
p513) and nearby Canosa, Molfetta Palermo (pp530–31), Bagheria
and Bitonto, Ruvo di Puglia (p514), (p536), Noto, Modica and Ragusa
San Leonardo di Siponto on the (p547) and Siracusa (pp546–7) is
Gargano Peninsula and Martina well-known. Less so are churches
Franca, near Alberobello. The at Piazza Armerina (p541), Trapani
Baroque style of the south is The Duomo portal in (p536), Palazzolo Acreide, close to
epitomized by the villas, palaces Ruvo di Puglia Siracusa, and Acireale, near Catania.

Tall gabled Rose window
Mullioned section Half
window columns Blind
Blind arcading
arcading
Rich
carving

Bari’s Basilica di San Nicola (founded 1087) was The façade of Troia cathedral
the model for subsequent churches in Puglia (see (1093–1125) owes its design to
p514). Based on Norman architecture, its façade is Pisan architecture and its rich
flanked by towers and divided vertically into three, ornamentation to Byzantine and
reflecting the tripartite nature of its plan. Arab models (see pp512–13).

Carved Protruding Central bell Stone-carved decoration
scroll columns tower
Three-tiered Curved
structure surface

The façade of Siracusa’s San Giorgio in Ragusa Lecce’s Chiesa del Rosario
Duomo, begun in 1728 by (c.1746) has a façade by (begun 1691) was built by Lo
Andrea Palma, is animated by Gagliardi with layers of Zingarello of soft local sandstone
broken or curved elements ornamentation culminating in the Lecce Baroque style of
(see p546). in the tower (see p547). profuse carving (see pp516–17).

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