Felice Gate in Palermo
Porta Felice is one of the gates of the city of Palermo . It represents the entrance from the sea side to the Cassaro, one of the main axes of the city. It was commissioned by the viceroy Marcantonio Colonna in Palermo who dedicated it to his wife, Donna Felice Orsini.
Construction began in 1582, but were interrupted and resumed in 1602 under the direction of Mariano Smiriglio and completed in 1637 by Vincenzo Tedeschi .
The two façades present considerable stylistic differences.
The external front, facing the sea, has a solemn aspect: it is clad in light-colored marble without interruption and has columns, niches, balustrades, scrolls, coats of arms and, at the foot of the pillars, two fountains.
The internal façade, facing the city, has a classical setting which reveals the influence of late Mannerist Roman architecture. In the stone facing, underlined by pilasters, classic aedicule openings and ovoid oculi are inserted.
Porta Felice was the only city gate that was closed at a late hour of the night; of the aristocracy to spend summer evenings in the coolness of the marina.
