Description
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III is a covered arcade in the heart of Messina, between Corso Cavour and Piazza Antonello: an Art Nouveau and Art Deco passage with a glass dome, born in the city rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and now full of bars and restaurants.
The main entrance is the great arch on Piazza Antonello, between sturdy pilasters and a raised pediment. Inside, three wings meet in a hexagon topped by the glass dome; the barrel vaults have colored-glass skylights and the floor is a mosaic of small tiles.
It was designed by Messina-born Camillo Puglisi Allegra, and the sculptors Antonio Bonfiglio and Ettore Lovetti took care of the decoration, inspired by the Sicilian 18th century. Built between 1924 and 1929, it opened on August 13, 1929, the same day as the rebuilt cathedral.
Created for offices, homes and shops, it has become a place of restaurants and cocktail bars. In 2000 it was declared a site of historic and artistic interest; in 2023 a fire damaged its roof, but the arcade survived almost intact.
The main entrance is the great arch on Piazza Antonello, between sturdy pilasters and a raised pediment. Inside, three wings meet in a hexagon topped by the glass dome; the barrel vaults have colored-glass skylights and the floor is a mosaic of small tiles.
It was designed by Messina-born Camillo Puglisi Allegra, and the sculptors Antonio Bonfiglio and Ettore Lovetti took care of the decoration, inspired by the Sicilian 18th century. Built between 1924 and 1929, it opened on August 13, 1929, the same day as the rebuilt cathedral.
Created for offices, homes and shops, it has become a place of restaurants and cocktail bars. In 2000 it was declared a site of historic and artistic interest; in 2023 a fire damaged its roof, but the arcade survived almost intact.