Piazza Ciullo

Piazza Ciullo is the main square of Alcamo, in the province of Trapani, Sicily, Italy. Being located in the very town centre, it is a meeting place for people and an attraction for important events, especially for teenagers.

History

According to some historical sources, in 1500 a watercourse crossed Piazza Ciullo: the ditch, where it ran, filled up with water during winter, but after a few centuries the area took its present form. Today traces of the stream's existence are seen through the particular position of the buildings, whose profiles are made to stand out through the pavement lines after architect Gae Aulenti's restoration work.^[1]

In the 16th century there were a number of houses with courts inside them and churches within the town; many houses were built on the east-west axis towards Porta Trapani. The banks of the stream were very suitable for the construction of new churches. The

The area became important in the first half of the 16th century due to events such as the passage and stay of the emperor Charles V (in 1535), and later the construction of the Church of Jesus by the Jesuits in 1650, which gave the square its characteristic shape.

The present square has risen with the union of the forecourts of three churches: Saint Olivia, Stellario (1625) and the Chiesa del Collegio (1650).^[2]

It was originally called Piazza Maggiore, then until 1875 Piano Sant'Oliva, and finally Piazza Ciullo, in honour of the great poet Ciullo d'Alcamo, the author of the famous love contrast "Rosa fresca aulentissima".^[3]

Description

Piazza Ciullo has an oblong shape, and it is characterised by two parallel sides, winding like the ancient walls no longer in existence.

In 1952 the square was paved by the local authorities. The last restoration in 1996 as part of Gae Aulenti's restoration project has led to new flooring and new street furniture, following the guidelines of the stream which crossed the square and disappeared.

The renovation of the main square of Alcamo, which also included the placing of the much-discussed ‘’green poles’’ (T-shaped profiles which light it instead of the old lamps with cast iron poles), is still today the subject of lively discussion among those who argue that it has brought added value, and others who, on the contrary, see a quite striking contrast with the older part of the square. However, this lighting system, later used in other places, has taken the name of Sistema Alcamo.^[6]

Today the whole square, and part of Corso 6 Aprile, is a

• 
  An early 1990s photo
• 
  Piazza Ciullo snow-covered
• 
  The arcade of

  Ex Collegio dei Gesuiti
• 
  The square seen from above
• 
  The

  Church of the Holy Family
• 
  Palazzo Comunale (the Town Hall)
• 
  The

  Church of Saint Olivia
• 
  The Liberty kiosk
• 
  The crossroad between Corso 6 Aprile and Piazza Mercato
• 
  Piazza Mercato

See also

• Piazza Bagolino
• Piazza della Repubblica (Alcamo)
• Cielo d'Alcamo
• Gae Aulenti

References

Sources

• "Historia Alcami: Piazza Ciullo". 2018-03-04.
• "Piazza Ciullo a Alcamo". 2018-03-04.
• "Piazza Ciullo". 2018-03-04.
• "PIAZZA CIULLO". 2018-03-04.
• "Muore Gae Aulenti, aveva riqualificato Piazza Ciullo". 2018-03-04.
• "Piazze principali". 2018-03-04. Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
• Calia, Roberto (1997). I palazzi dell'aristocrazia e della borghesia alcamese. Alcamo: Carrubba.
• De Blasi, Ignazio (1989). Discorso storico della opulenta città di Alcamo situata a piè del Monte Bonifato e dell'antichissima cittù di Longarico; trascrizione del manoscritto originale e realizzazione di Lorenzo Asta. Alcamo.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Other projects

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piazza Ciullo.