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About
Palazzo Ducezio, the seat of the Town Hall of Noto, is a beautiful palace located across Piazza del Municipio from the Cathedral of San Nicolò. The palace was named in honor of Ducezio, King of the Sicels and founder of Noto.
SHORT HISTORY
The palace was designed by the architect Vincenzo Sinatra in 1746, inspired by some French palaces of the 17th century, but was completed only in 1830. The second floor of the palace was built in the first half of the 20th century by the architect Francesco La Grassa.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
The convex facade of the palace is characterized by twenty arches supported by columns with Ionic capitals in the lower section, and by thirteen rectangular windows in the upper section.
Inside, we can find Sala degli Specchi (Hall of Mirrors), an oval-shaped hall decorated at the end of the 19th century with stuccos and sumptuous mirrors. Over time, the Hall of Mirrors received the visit of many heads of state.
At the beginning of the 1930s, on the occasion of the official visit of Umberto and Maria Josè of Savoy, the hall was restored by the painter Gregorietti. The furniture was made by the master Sebastiano Dugo from Avola.
After it was closed in the 1990s for restoration, Sala degli Specchi was reopened on July 14, 2001, for the visit of the Hungarian Government delegation. On that occasion, the Hungarian delegates brought a marble bust placed today at the entrance to the building.
In the vault of the Hall of Mirrors stands a Neoclassical fresco painted in 1826 by Antonio Mazza, entitled La Fondazione di Neas (The Foundation of Neas – the ancient name of Noto), depicting an allegory of Ducezio, to whom an officer shows the original site of the city on Mount Alveria.
HOW TO GET THERE
Palazzo Ducezio is located about 1.3 kilometers away from the Noto railway station. To find the palace on foot, use the map below.
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