PALAZZO DEI CHIERICI

It is located in Piazza Duomo & nbsp; in front of Palazzo degli Elefanti and the passage above Porta Uzeda puts it in communication with the archbishop's palace. A first construction of the palace dates back to the Aragonese era, when the bishop's palace stood on the area. In 1572 part of this building was used as a seminary for clerics. In the earthquake of 1693 the palace was totally destroyed and then rebuilt, partly also over the sixteenth-century fortifications, & nbsp; designed by Alonzo Di Benedetto and enlarged in 1757 by the architect Francesco Battaglia. In the unification period the building was partially used as a military barracks and in 1866 the architect Mario di Stefano added the second floor. For security reasons during the Second World War the seminarians left the building and in fact the building was damaged during a bombing. Following the fire of the Palazzo degli Elefanti in 1944, the building was purchased by the Municipality which made it its headquarters from 1945 until 1953. The facade of the building is characterized by ashlar pilasters made of stone from Ispica while the mirrors between two pilasters are made of plaster made with the characteristic volcanic sand. The frames of the large windows, of the entrance door, & nbsp; the shelves of the balconies are made with the magnificent plastic reliefs typical of the late Sicilian Baroque.