Donnafugata Castle

Castello di Donnafugata is a palace in Sicily. It is located about 10 kilometers west of Ragusa.

History

The original building was commissioned by the Chiaramonte family commissioned in the 14th century. Was built on the foundations of this property Corrado Arezzo Barone di Donnafugata (1824-1895) built the present palace building in the second half of the 19th century. End of the 20th century it was thoroughly restored.

For the name Donnafugata (translated: Woman on the run ), there are various derivations. First, it is associated with a granddaughter of the castle lords who fled in 1900 together with a lover at night and fog from the palace.

On the other hand, it is derived from the Arabic term ain as jafaiat (Italian: Fonte della Salute, German: Source of Health ), since the environment of Ragusa in contrast to the otherwise rather arid region was rich in spring water. From the Fonte della Salute was in the Sicilian Ronnafuata and finally Donnafugata.

Building

The palace with a square base is crowned with battlements and has a Venetian main facade with a Gothic loggia.

It has 122 rooms on a floor space of 2500 square meters. Count the large library, the crest salon, a hall of mirrors, a billiards room, a bishop's room with precious inlaid furniture, the smoke and the music room, the woman hall and several chapels and theater spaces Particularly interesting spaces.

Outdoor facilities

In about 8 acres of parks are located next to numerous pavilions and artificial caves also a maze whose paths pattern is an almost exact copy of the maze at Hampton Court Palace. It is there also a "wrong band ", whose front door sooner opened automatically upon entering the second stage and out of a wooden, mechanical monk appeared to scare the visitors and to embrace. This " chapel " and the mechanical monk are no longer visible since the accident. There is also attached a cave on the ceiling of the vault of heaven is depicted. Guarded the park of stone soldiers.

More

The Castello di Donnafugata and its castle Mr. Corrado Arezzo to Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, who in his childhood often spent here, to write his novel that inspired The Leopard. Some scenes of the film adaptations were filmed in the palace.

In one of the former outbuildings of the property is now home to the winery Donnafugata, which is also known beyond the borders of Italy and its wines have won international awards.