The arsenal of Palermo – a short overview

Abstract

The Arsenal of Palermo is located towards the end of Via Cristoforo Colombo and borders the Fincantieri Shipyard and the fabulous villa of Marquis De Gregorio. The vessels of the Royal Navy and private shipbuilders were built in the area behind the building. Today this part of the city is a true open-air museum, whose unique value deserves broader appreciation. In the area around the Arsenal stand Villa De Gregorio, the Florio shipyards, the English Cemetery, Montalbo Palace and many other buildings of great interest. The Arsenal was built between 1621 and 1630 on the plans of the architect Mariano Smiriglio, a great figure in Italian Mannerism. The two storey building has a regular form; in the upper part of the façade there is the Bourbon coat of arms bearing an eagle’s head and the following inscription: Philippi IV His pan, utriusque siciliae regis III, auspiciis augustis, navale armamentarium inchoatum, perfectum MDCXXX. The Arsenal of Palermo was the place where the xebecs and galleys that helped in the fight against the Barbary pirates in the Mediterranean Sea were built. In fact, Sicilian ships played a leading role in many sea battles. Today the only shipyard in Sicily is the one in Palermo and hence it is the only testimony of the Sicilian maritime legacy with regard to the construction of warships and merchant ships.