The Castle of Donnafugata

For tourists visiting the Ragusa area, a must-see is undoubtedly the Castle of Donnafugata, a noble residence steeped in centuries of history, art and legend. It seems that the first construction of the castle, originally part of a large latifundia, was carried out in the 14th century by the Chiaramonte family, counts of Modica. However, most of the sumptuous building was the work, in the 1800s, of the visionary Baron Corrado Arezzo De Spuches. A politician and eclectic man of learning, he worked the miracle of transforming a common farmhouse, a landmark for the noble family who spent their summer vacation there and the large group of people for whom it was home, work, and life, into a luxurious residence characterized by that neo-Gothic or Gothic revival style that, successfully spread in English architecture in the 19th century, initiated important processes of transformation in art and craftsmanship. After years of neglect and abandonment this charming mansion purchased in the 1980s by the City of Ragusa, through the work of a long-standing restoration, was made usable in the guise that we can admire today.

The context

The name “Donnafugata” has unclear roots; beyond the legendary ones, which evoke romantic stories of images of fleeing ladies; one hypothesis put forward by some is that the name is a free interpretation and transcription of the Arabic word ʻAyn al-Ṣiḥḥḥat (Source of Health) that became Ronnafuata in Sicilian, hence the current name. Others also propose a further hypothesis that the name of the locality may refer to the possible tragic finding there of a body of a woman “affucata,” which in Sicilian means” dead by suffocation.” The structure of the Castle of Donnafugata, the epicenter of a small village, is organized on either side of the main avenue that on one side leads to the entrance of the castle and on the other opens onto the vast latifundia of yesteryear from the typical features of the Ragusa countryside furrowed by the network of dry stone walls and dominated by the presence of donkeys, cows, carob trees and centuries-old olive trees. Not far from the hamlet are the traces of an ancient burial hypogeum, attesting to a long frequentation of this area of the Ragusa territory.

Architecture and Interiors

The structure of the castle, which covers an area of more than 7500 square meters and is spread over 3 floors, evokes the image of a medieval fortress and, in the main elevation, is crowned by two lateral towers between which is inserted a splendid loggia with elegant trefoil arches in a clear neo-Gothic style. From the large inner courtyard, a monumental staircase in pietra-pece, the typical Ragusan stone rich in bitumen and mineral oil, leads to the interior of the castle. The mansion is divided into more than 120 rooms, about 20 of which are accessible to the public. These still preserve the furnishings and furniture of the period that reveal the flavor of a neoclassical and neo-Gothic taste, not without Baroque influences. Therefore, visiting the interior of the Castle, among those original pieces that tell of the daily life and refined tastes of its former inhabitants, you will have the feeling of stepping into the ‘era of the last “gattopardi” as well as a fascinating journey through the history of art and furniture. You will realize that each room, in being used for a specific function, is furnished with different taste: the Hall of Music is connoted by trompe-l’oeil paintings; the Hall of Coats of Arms is decorated with no less than 750 coats of arms of all the noble Sicilian families painted on the walls; the Hall of Mirrors has its specific decoration in the refined gilded stuccoes,the ceiling frescoes and the glittering chandeliers; magnificent Boulle furniture, on the other hand, furnishes the so-called apartment of the Bishop, reserved for a high prelate of the 1700s belonging to the Arezzo family. In the billiard room, in the fumoir, in the rich library of more than ten thousand volumes, in the picture gallery, in the various bedrooms, in short, everywhere one can sense the taste and passion for beauty, for art and for entertainment that animated the days of the ancient inhabitants of this mansion.

The Park

Donnafugata has its attraction not only in its castle but also in the historic and monumental park that with its eight hectares of extension surrounds the noble residence. This green space is divided into three different types of gardens: the informal English garden, the formal French garden, and a “rustic” space, that is, an orchard-garden that was once dedicated to the cultivation of aromatic plants and beekeeping. The architecture of the park that is now before our eyes dates back to the period between the mid-1800s and early 1900s. It has the merit of containing, in addition to some monumental trees, a remarkable variety of plant species, about 1,500. At the entrance to the park stands majestically a large ficus tree whose leaves could once be stamped and mailed as postcards. There were also once “jokes” in the park devised by the baron’s prankster spirit, such as, the presence of empty tombs to scare off maidens, or a sprinkler placed over a seat that would go into operation to wet the guest who sat there or a friar. Work has recently been underway to restore the baron’s bizarre “tricks,” which are currently inactive. Of surprising importance, in the park, is the presence, desired by the baron, of some artistic elements, sometimes bizarre hidden among the varied vegetation of the place, intended to cheer and entertain guests such as the circular temple of pure neoclassical style, the coffee hause, some small caves with artificial stalactites and finally the famous stone labyrinth, built in the typical technique of dry masonry of Ragusa, recently chosen as a film set. In short, the park seems designed not only as an ideal setting of delight for the eyes in which nature and art coexist in harmony, but also as a place of wonders capable of offering you a saving escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life to immerse yourself in contemplation and meditation and find yourself.

VISITING HOURS:

Summer hours: 09:00-19:00 (from April 1 until October 31, 2022) Winter hours: 09:00-16:00 (from November 1, 2022) Closed on Mondays PHOTOS FROM OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://castellodonnafugata.org/
to which we refer for more information