Naples - Palazzo Donn'Anna - Italy
by Paolo Signorini
Title
Naples - Palazzo Donn'Anna - Italy
Artist
Paolo Signorini
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List - Historic Centre of Naples 1995
Palazzo Donn'Anna is a historic residence in Naples, Italy. It sits prominently at water's edge at the beginning of the Posillipo coast, just west of the Mergellina boat harbor. The building is on the site of the so-called "Rocks of the Siren" and, indeed, was originally called La Villa Sirena.The original building on the site was probably built by one Dragonetto Bonifacio in the early 15th century. It changed hands a number of times and finally was inherited in 1630 by the woman whose name it now bears, Anna Carafa, duchess of Stigliano and wife of Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, the Spanish Viceroy of Naples. She had the building redone by architect Cosimo Fanzago in the 1640s. When her husband returned to Spain alone in 1644, the unfinished palace was left abandoned and neglected.The palace was purchased from the heirs of Anna Carafa by Teora Mirelli.The grand but decaying baroque building projecting directly into the sea presented an irresistible subject for eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artists. In particular, thanks to the nearby villa of William Hamilton, many were the foreign and British travellers who remained fascinated.By the beginning of the 19th century, the structure was still markedly dilapidated. In the early 1900 a French family, Genevois, bought it and started transforming it as it appears to be today. The Western wing was sold in 1928 to the Colonna di Paliano family and later to many more families, being fractioned by the Genevois heirs in smaller units. Part of the building is still a ruin, but most of it is currently used as a residence, including the home gallery of art dealer Lia Rumma and for Napoli football player Dries Mertens.
Legend
It is said that Queen Giovanna d'Angiò met her lovers here, choosing them among the local fishermen and after a night of passion she killed them at dawn, causing them to fall from the palace.
Uploaded
December 5th, 2021
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Viewed 8,690 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/26/2024 at 6:36 AM
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Comments (21)
Holly April Harris
Wonderful capture! Congratulations! I’m am very pleased to feature your beautiful image in the group Covered Bridges and Historical Buildings. It’s a wonderful addition to the group! Please add it to the “2022 Second Quarter Featured Images Collection” thread in the discussions area for a permanent record of the feature. Thank you!
Luther Fine Art
Congratulations! Your fantastic photographic art has been chosen as a Camera Art Group feature! You are invited to archive your work in the feature archive discussion. There are many other discussions in the group where you can promote your art even further more.
Nisah Cheatham
Congrats! This photo has been featured on the •UNESCO World Heritage Sites• group on FAA/Pixels. ||| Featured images are capped around 30, so you are invited to archive your photo to the "2022 Features!" discussion topic.
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