Grazia Gate in Messina
Porta Grazia in Messina is an important historical testimony of the period in which the city was placed under the dominion of the Spanish crown.
Currently located in Piazza Casa Pia, in its original location it served as the main entrance to the Real Cittadella, built by the Spaniards at the end of the 17th century. It is no coincidence that its construction was established in the aftermath of the revolt that the Messina inhabitants carried out in an anti-Spanish key in 1674, which was then severely repressed.
The baroque work has a round arch decorated with menacing marble masks, placed both in the keystone and in the side shelves that supported the drawbridge. All the rest of the structure was, however, made of limestone. The two pillars flanking the door end with capitals enriched with garlands, festoons and heads. On the sides you can see two large octagonal windows. Finally, the box above the arch contained an inscription dating back to 1681, which fell during the earthquake of 1894.
With the construction of the maritime station, in the early 1900s, the falcata area began to undergo changes. The Citadel witnessed a progressive dismantling and the main entrance portal, Porta Grazia, was dismantled in 1961 to be relocated to its current location.
