Palazzo del Provveditore
Palazzo del Provveditore, commonly known as the Venetian Palace, was a
History
Lusignan kings used Famagusta as their second place of residence, in addition to
The Venetians greatly renovated the palace, along with the city's walls and other public spaces. The front facade and the back of the palace was completely changed. Architecturally, the
Most sources hold that the central sections were destroyed during the
Architecture
The palace is a rare example of Renaissance architecture in Cyprus.[3][1] The surviving parts are the front facade, with its three arches and a coat of arms on the middle arch, an "arm" attached to this to the southeast, a chapel and an L-shaped wall at the very back of the courtyard.[2] The arch at the front was made from material from Salamis: both the columns and the stones originate from there.[1][4][5]
Behind the facade are a number of arches that run parallel to it and are very plain in comparison. It has been proposed that these are remnants of the original Lusignan palace. In the "arm" attached are small rooms facing the courtyard that have been used as prisons or arsenals and shops accessible from the street in the ground floor, an Ottoman-era structure used by the Department of Antiquities and some structures built in mid-20th century.
There is evidence that the chapel has been modified over time. The chapel had been used as a museum up to 1974 and had been restored between 1930 and 1950. The L-shaped walls date to the Venetian era. Enlart has proposed that parts of this may have surrounded a great hall.[2]
Not much is known about the destroyed parts of the palace. Work by the Department of Antiquities has shown the presence of cisterns. Engravings and the account of a 15th-century traveler indicate that the palace had two floors, even though the current entrance only has one floor. In an engraving dated to 1571, a balcony was shown in the front of the palace.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Venetian Palace". Famagusta Walled City Association. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Uluca, Ege (2006), Gazimağusa Kaleiçi'nin Tarihsel Süreç İçindeki Kentsel Gelişimi ve Değişimi (PhD thesis) (in Turkish), Istanbul Technical University, pp. 111–4, retrieved 3 July 2016
- ^ ISBN 0-299-06820-X.
- ISBN 9789944968034. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ISBN 9781740591225.