Description
Porta Grazia is a Baroque gate in limestone and marble that led into the Real Cittadella, the fortress the Spanish built on the port of Messina. Since 1961 it has stood in Piazza Casa Pia: it was taken apart and moved here when the shipyard next to the fortress was enlarged.
Look at the three grotesque masks in marble on the arch: the side ones held up the drawbridge. On either side, two large pillars with rich capitals and garlands and two lavishly decorated octagonal windows frame the gate.
The Cittadella was built after Messina's failed revolt against Spain, which ended in 1678, and the gate was completed in 1686. The name comes from Santa Maria della Grazia, the religious complex it stood by, which was torn down to make room for the fortress.
Look at the three grotesque masks in marble on the arch: the side ones held up the drawbridge. On either side, two large pillars with rich capitals and garlands and two lavishly decorated octagonal windows frame the gate.
The Cittadella was built after Messina's failed revolt against Spain, which ended in 1678, and the gate was completed in 1686. The name comes from Santa Maria della Grazia, the religious complex it stood by, which was torn down to make room for the fortress.