Palazzo San Demetrio, Catania

Walk 100 meters north from Piazza Universita along Via Etnea, at the intersection with Via Antonio di San Giuliano, you'll see a magnificent example of late Baroque architecture and the first major building constructed in Catania after the devastating earthquake of 1693. The palace was built for the Baron of San Gregorio, Don Eusebio Massa, by the architect Alonzo di Benedetto and was named Palazzo Masa di San Gregorio. After the death of its first owner, in 1714, the palace was acquired by Salvatore Pellegrino, Baron of San Demetrio, and has borne this name ever since. Although the palace was continually expanded, the façade remained unchanged until 1870, when the reconstruction of Via Etnea lowered its level by almost two meters. As a result, the ground-floor windows became disproportionately tall, and the entrance gate received a new arch. In place of the old one, we now see a small window, richly decorated with Baroque stucco. During World War II, on April 16, 1943, the building was hit by two aerial bombs, completely destroying it and burying about seventy civilians who had taken refuge in the vestibule under the rubble. After the war, the building was restored according to designs by Giugeppo Marletta, who attempted to restore the building to its original appearance using old photographs and surviving drawings. Today, the ground floor of the palace is occupied by shops, while the upper floors house two hotels.

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