Castello Ursino ( scn, Casteddu Ursinu, lit=Bear Castle), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also b ...

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...

, and is mostly known for its role in the

Sicilian Vespers The Sicilian Vespers ( it, Vespri siciliani; scn, Vespiri siciliani) was a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out at Easter 1282 against the rule of the French-born king Charles I of Anjou, who had ruled the Kingdom of ...

, when it became the seat of the Sicilian Parliament. The castle is in good condition today, and it is open to the public as a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

History

Construction

Castello Ursino was built between 1239 and 1250, as one of the royal castles of Emperor Frederick II, King of Sicily, closing a chapter on the turbulent time in Sicily that followed the death of his predecessor, William II. Local lords had attempted to assert independence, and in 1220 Frederick II had ordered the destruction of all non-royal castles in Sicily. Castello Ursino was built to stress royal power as well as for the defence of the capital, and was considered impregnable at the time.

Sicilian Vespers

In 1295, during the

, the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

which declared deposed

James II of Aragon James II (Catalan: ''Jaume II''; Spanish: ''Jaime II;'' 10 April 1267 – 2 or 5 November 1327), called the Just,, an, Chaime lo Chusto, es, Jaime el Justo. was the King of Aragon and Valencia and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327. He ...

as King of Sicily, replacing him with Frederick III, was held here. The following year it was captured by Robert of Anjou but was later again in Aragonese hands.

Royal seat

King Frederick III resided in the castle, as well as his successors Peter II, Louis, Frederick IV and Maria. Here the latter was kidnapped by Guglielmo Raimondo III Moncada to avoid her marriage with

Gian Galeazzo Visconti Gian Galeazzo Visconti (16 October 1351 – 3 September 1402), was the first duke of Milan (1395) and ruled the late-medieval city just before the dawn of the Renaissance. He also ruled Lombardy jointly with his uncle Bernabò. He was the found ...

(1392). King

Martin I Martin I may refer to: * Pope Martin I (c. 590/600–655), bishop of Rome 649–655 * Martin I (bishop of Oviedo) (died 1101) * Martin I (archbishop of Gniezno) (died after 1112) * Martin I of Aragon (1356–1410) * Martin I of Sicily (1374/6–1 ...

held also his court in the castle.

Decline

After the move of the capital away from Catania and the appearance of powder weapons, the castle lost its military role and was used as a prison. It is one of the few buildings in Catania to have survived the earthquake of 1693. When the castle was first built, it was on a

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

looking out to sea, however as the result of volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes, it is now a kilometre inland. The former

moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...

too in the 17th century was filled with

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

from an eruption by

Mount Etna Mount Etna, or simply Etna ( it, Etna or ; scn, Muncibbeḍḍu or ; la, Aetna; grc, Αἴτνα and ), is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, between the cities of Messina ...

. Its present location, surrounded by streets and shops in a typical Catania piazza, may strike some visitors as unusual.

Present day

The castle was acquired by the city of Catania in 1932, and it was restored. The
Museo Civico
' opened in the restored castle on 20 October 1934. Today, the museum houses artifacts and artwork from the castle as well as the greater geographical area. These items date from the Classical era onward, representing the diverse influences throughout Sicilian history. Frequently, the castle hosts also temporary exhibitions or artistic events (theatrical representations and concerts). It is also possible to use the historical site to celebrate a civil union. Further restoration work was carried out in November 2009.

Layout

The castle has a rectangular plan, with a large circular

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specific ...

at each corner and an open-air inner court

Museum layout

Ground floor

Salone d'Armi

This houses the museum's ticket office as well as Jewish inscriptions and inscriptions from the medieval senate-house where the decision was taken to expel the city's Jewish population in 1492, including a copy of the Julia Fiorentina inscription from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...

. It also houses a medieval keystone, a 16th-century cannon, parts of an ancient Roman mosaic showing the months, a 16th-century inscription mentioning a castellan from Toledo and a statue of Ignazio Paternò Castello Principe di Biscari, by Antonio Calì, displayed with a copy of his book ''Viaggio per le Antichità della Sicilia''. The room is, however, named after its large collection of weapons. File:Epigrafi giudaiche (Catania).jpg, Jewish inscriptions File:Mosaico raffigurante i mesi.jpg, Mosaic File:Iscrizione per la cacciata degli ebrei.jpg, Inscription on the expulsion of the Jews in 1492 Plinto Romano

Sala di raccordo nord

This room and those following it display finds from the city's Roman theatre, including a huge headless statue, a torso of Hermes and a plinth found by

Biscari Acate ( Sicilian: ''Acati'' or ''Vischiri'') is a small town and '' comune'' in the south of Sicily, Italy, part of the province of Ragusa. It is located in the Dirillo The Dirillo, or Acate, is a river in Sicily which springs from the Hybl ...

in 1770 showing a trophy crowned by two Victories and two barbarian prisoners on its sides.

Torre delle Bandiere

This houses fragments of Roman mosaic, statue of Hercules and a plaster copy of Costanza d'Aragona's sarcophagus.

Salone delle scuderie

The main works exhibited here include: * a mosaic of putti from the Terme Achilliane, showing them inviting you to enjoy your stay in the baths (''"Vtere Feliciter"'') * fragment of a frieze showing Apollo and Artemis in a gigantomachy, 3rd century AD * male torso, dedicated to Jupiter, found near the monastery of Sant'Agostino by principe Biscari in 1737. * statue of Hercules in a lionskin just after killing the Nemean Lion * statue of Hercules resting,

Farnese Hercules The ''Farnese Hercules'' ( it, Ercole Farnese) is an ancient statue of Hercules, probably an enlarged copy made in the early third century AD and signed by Glykon, who is otherwise unknown; the name is Greek but he may have worked in Rome. Like ...

type, holding one of the apples of the

Hesperides In Greek mythology, the Hesperides (; , ) are the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunsets, who were the "Daughters of the Evening" or "Nymphs of the West". They were also called the Atlantides () from their reputed father, the Titan At ...

* plinth with dolphins File:Torso di Giove (Catania).jpg, Torso of Jupiter File:Gigantomachia (Catania).jpg, Frieze of a gigantomachy File:1345 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Bellerofronte, sec. II d.C. - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007.jpg, Bellerophon, 2nd century AD File:9828 - Heracles (2nd centuy). Castello ursino, Catania - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, October 28 2016.jpg, Hercules in Lionskin, 2nd century AD File:1344 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Apollo citardeo , sec. I d.C. - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007.jpg, Apollo with a Cithara, 1st century AD 1331 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Rilievo con cavaliere, sec

1331 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Rilievo con cavaliere, sec

Sala

This houses displays of clay statues of subjects such as Aphrodite, a small dog fighting a cockerel, a nymph on a rock and a prehistoric head. Particularly notable is a colossal ram, whilst the most important work in the room is a fragment of a cavalryman, probably from a historiated column, found near porta Carlo V.

Torre del Sale

Named after its previous use as a storehouse for salt, it now houses a mosaic showing a head, thought to be an allegory for Africa, and a bust of an Egyptian woman.

Sala di San Giorgio / Sala della Cappella

This displays around 2000 bronze figurines, of which 1600 are from the Benedettini collection and the rest from the Biscari collection. They date to the Archaic, Siceliot, Greek, Etruscan-Italic and Hellenistic eras. It also houses a 420 BC marble relief of Demeter and Kore found on Montevergine hill in 1930 and several Greek vases such as the red-figure ''Crater with Perseus and Medusa'' from excavations in Camarina. File:9858 - Ancient Greek bronzes. Castello ursino, Catania - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, October 28 2016.jpg, Figurines File:Demetra Castello Ursino.png, Bust of Demeter, 5th century BC File:Cippo Carcaci (Catania), conservato al castello ursino.jpg, Carcaci cippus

Other rooms

These house inscriptions and statues, together forming the permanent "Voci di Pietra" display: File:Epigrafe Aurelio Samohil.jpg, Inscription of Aurelius Samohil File:1297 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Ryhton attico, 430-410 aC - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 2-Oct-2006.jpg, Attic rhyton File:1304 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Cratere attico con scena di Simposio, 400-390 aC - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 2-Oct-2006.jpg, Attic crater with a symposium scene File:Attic black figure lekythos.jpg, Black-figure Attic lekythos File:9896 - Ulysses and Polyphemos, (2nd century AD) - Catania, Castello Ursino - Photo by Giovanni Dall'Orto, October 28 2016.jpg, Polyphemus and Ulysses, 2nd century AD File:Hercules relief, marble, Sicilian Greek, 2nd century BC.JPG, Wrestlers, 2nd century AD

First Floor

Saliba - Madonna in trono con il Bambino

Sala

This houses: * two tomb reliefs (one for a 16th-century recipient of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the other of a sleeping figure) *Byzantine icons * a

Limoges enamel Limoges enamel has been produced at Limoges, in south-western France, over several centuries up to the present. There are two periods when it was of European importance. From the 12th century to 1370 there was a large industry producing metal ...

plaque of the crucifixion * a 'smalto' of ''The Virgin in Glory'' * ''Portrait of a Gentleman'' by

El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El ...

(recently restored using funds from OperaTua) * a 15th-century painting of ''Madonna with Saint Lucy and Saint John'' * parts of a polyptych by Antonello de Saliba from Santa Maria di Gesù church: ''Madonna and Child, St Anthony, St Francis of Assisi, Resurrection'' *''St Onufrius'' by Bernazzano. * 17th century chess set from the Benedettini * ''Last Supper'' by

Luis de Morales Luis de Morales (1509 – 9 May 1586) was a Spanish painter active during the Spanish Renaissance in the 16th century. Known as "El Divino", most of his work was of religious subjects, including many representations of the Madonna and Child an ...

Salone dei Parlamenti

This mainly houses 17th and 18th century works, including masterpieces by Matthias Stomer from the collection donated to the city by Giovan Battista Finocchiaro in 1826 such as ''Death of Cato'', ''Crucifixion of St Peter'', ''Suicide of Seneca'' and ''Christ Mocked''. It also displays works by Pietro Novelli such as ''St Christopher'', ''St John the Baptist'', ''Madonna and Child with St Louis of France'' and ''The Good Samaritan''. Also notable are: * the only surviving copy of

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of h ...

's ''

Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence ''Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence'' is a painting of the nativity of Jesus from 1609 by Italian painter Caravaggio. It has been missing since 1969 when it was stolen from the Oratory of Saint Lawrence in Palermo. Investigators believe ...

'', the original of which was stolen by the Mafia and has never been recovered - the copy was produced in 1627 by Don Gaspare Orioles da Paolo Geraci. * ''Christ at the Column'' by

Mario Minniti Mario Minniti (8 December 1577 – 22 November 1640) was an Italian artist active in Sicily after 1606. Born in Syracuse, Sicily, he arrived in Rome in 1593, where he became the friend, collaborator, and model of the key Baroque painter Miche ...

* ''Penitent Mary Magdalene'', school of

Giovanni Lanfranco Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Biography Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the ho ...

* ''St Luke Painting the Virgin Mary'' by Mattia Preti * ''St Catherine in Ecstacy'', previously attributed to

Giulio Cesare Procaccini Giulio Cesare Procaccini (1574–1625) was an Italian painter and sculptor of the early Baroque era in Milan. Biography Born in Bologna he was son of the Mannerist painter Ercole Procaccini the Elder and brother of Camillo Procaccini and Ca ...

and later to Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli. * ''Prophet'', ''St Francis with a Crucifix'' and ''Lament over the Dead Christ'' by Jusepe de Ribeira and his school * ''Mary Magdalene'' by

Andrea Vaccaro Andrea Vaccaro (baptised on 8 May 1604 – 18 January 1670) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. Vaccaro was in his time one of the most successful painters in Naples, a city then under Spanish rule. Very successful and valued in his li ...

* ''Three Kings'' by Simone de Wobreck * ''St Januarius'' attributed to

Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province of ...

File:Matthias Stom - Morte di Catone.jpg, Matthias Stomer - Death of Cato File:1293 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Mathias Stomer, Cristo deriso (ca. 1640) - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007a.jpg, Matthias Stomer, Christ Mocked File:Estasi di Santa Caterina da Siena (Catania), castello ursino.jpg, Morazzone - Ecstacy of Saint Catherine of Siena File:Cristo alla Colonna (Catania), castello ursino .jpg,

- Christ at the Column File:San Luca (Catania), castello ursino.jpg, Mattia Preti - Saint Luke as a Painter

Sala

This room houses 18th century works: * ''Coronation of Saint Agatha'', ''Death of Saint Joseph'' and ''Saint Francesco Caracciolo'', oil sketches by Marcello Leopardi * ''Martyrdom of Saint Agatha'', oil sketch by

Mariano Rossi Mariano Rossi (7 December 1731 - 24 October 1807) was an Italian painter, persisting in what had become an anachronistic Rococo style amid an ascendant neoclassical environment. His placement legions of figures in a complex scenography and quad ...

. * ''Still Life with Fruit and a Landscape'' and ''Still Life with Fruit and a Fountain'' by

Aniello Ascione Aniello Ascione (''fl'' 1680 –1708) was an Italian painter of still lifes. He is regarded as an important representative of the Flemish style of Baroque still life painting and a follower of the Flemish painter Abraham Brueghel who worked in Nap ...

. * ''Landscape with Ruins'', anonymous west Italian painter, one of five paintings from Villa Scabrosa; a pair with''Naval Battle'' * ''Woman Selling Fish'' by Giuseppe Bonino (1760) * ''Kneeling Aphrodite'', statue by a central Italian artist in classical style * ''Mary Magdalene'', attributed to Guglielmo Borremans * ''St Agatha Before Quintianus'', wax sculpture * ''St Agatha Crowned in Prison'', wax sculpture * door sculpture in the style of the Gagini family * ''Portrait of Prior Placido Scammacca'', shown holding an ancient Greek vase * ''Birth of Venus'', small painting by Michele Rocca * ''Birth of Adonis'', small painting Michele Rocca I vespri siciliani - Michele Rapisardi

File:Venditrice di pesce (Catania), castello ursino.jpg, Giuseppe Bonino - Woman Selling Fish File:Paesaggio con rovine (Catania), castello ursino.jpg, Anon. - Landscape with Ruins File:La Maddalena (Catania), castello ursino.jpg, Possibly Guglielmo Borremans - Mary Magdalene

Sala Michele Rapisardi

As its name suggests this room mainly displays paintings by Michele Rapisardi, including his ''The Sicilian Vespers'', ''Head of Ofelia Pazza'', a self-portrait and a study for ''Vespers''. It also houses works by Natale Attanasio (''Sunt Lacrima Rerum'', best known as "Le Pazze"; ''Women in the Fields''; ''Tasso and Cardinal d'Este'') and Bernardo Celentano (''Provenzan Salvani in the piazza del Campo''). File:Autoritratto - Michele Rapisardi.JPG, Michele Rapisardi - ''Self-portrait'' File:Rapisardi - Testa di Ofelia pazza (1865).jpg, Michele Rapisardi - ''Head of Ofelia pazza'' File:Rapisardi - study for I Vespri Siciliani, 1865.jpg, Michele Rapisardi - Study for ''The Sicilian Vespers'' File:Natale Attanasio - Donne per i campi.jpg, Natale Attanasio - ''Women in the Fields'' File:Bernardo Celentano - "Provenzan Salvani nella piazza del Campo", 1856 c..jpg, Bernardo Celentano - ''Provenzan Salvani in the piazza del Campo''

Second floor

Sala

Ritratto della nipote Clementina - Giuseppe Gandolfo

This houses several 19th century portraits by Rapisarda, Giuseppe Rapisardi,

Giuseppe Sciuti Giuseppe Sciuti (Zafferana Etnea, Sicily, 26 February 1834 - Rome, 13 March 1911) was an Italian painter. Biography His father, a pharmacist, insisted his son follow his trade. But he relented and allowed Giuseppe to study locally at age 15, and ...

, Natale Attanasio, Calcedonio Reina, Francesco Lojacono, Pasquale Liotta,

Domenico Morelli Domenico Morelli (4 August 182313 August 1901) was an Italian painter, who mainly produced historical and religious works. Morelli was immensely influential in the arts of the second half of the 19th century, both as director of the Accademia d ...

, Alessandro Abate, Antonino Gandolfo and Giuseppe Gandolfo, along with a number of 18th century Chinese vases, violins produced by

Andrea Amati Andrea Amati was a luthier, from Cremona, Italy. Amati is credited with making the first instruments of the violin family that are in the form we use today. Several of his instruments survive to the present day, and some of them can still be ...

, Caltagirone ceramics, 17th century bronze statuettes of Venus and Vulcan and an 18th-century bronze statuette of Perseus. File:Ritratto della Cognata (Catania).jpg, Antonino Gandolfo - Portrait of La Cognata File:A gandolfo musica forzata.jpg, Antonino Gandolfo - Forced Music File:Calcedonio Reina - Love and Death.jpg, Calcedonio Reina - Love and Death File:L'effetto dell'hashish - Pasquale Liotta.JPG, Pasquale Liotta - The Effect of Hashish File:L'incubo di Elisabetta I (Catania).jpg, Pasquale Liotta - The Incubus of

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

File:Pescatore (Catania).jpg, Francesco Lojacono - Fisherman File:La Morte del Tasso (Catania).jpg,

- The Death of Tasso File:La Cuoca (Catania).jpg, Girolamo Induno - Woman Cooking File:Musica Forzata (Catania).jpg, Alessandro Abate - Forced music File:Ore felici (Catania).jpg, Michele Rapisardi - Happy Hours File:Venere su divano verde (Catania).jpg, Michele Rapisardi - Venus on a Green Couch File:Ritratto di Famiglia (Catania).jpg, Giuseppe Rapisardi - Family Portrait File:1286 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Anonimo, Perseo (sec. XVI) inv 6643 - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 2-Oct-2006a.jpg, Perseus (16th century) File:1280 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Ceramica di Caltagirone, sec. XVIII - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007.jpg, Caltagirone ceramic, 18th century File:1281 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Ceramica di Caltagirone, sec. XVIII - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007.jpg, Caltagirone ceramic, 18th century File:1282 - Catania - Castello Ursino - Ceramica di Caltagirone, sec. XVIII - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 2-Oct-2007.jpg, Caltagirone ceramic, 18th century

Open space

This large room houses temporary exhibitions as well as sculptures, bas-reliefs, inscriptions from Certosa di Nuovaluce and an urn by the Gaginian school. A room beside it houses some of the numismatic collection and the whole Fondo Sebastiano Ittar, including engravings by Ittar showing studies of monuments and works of art in Catania.

References

{{Authority control Ursino Royal residences in the Kingdom of Sicily Buildings and structures in Catania Museums in Sicily Local museums in Italy 13th-century establishments in Italy Defunct prisons in Italy Medieval Italian architecture