Porta Felice, City gate in Foro Italico, Palermo, Italy
The gate comprises two pillars clad in marble with columns, balconies, loggias, architraves, balustrades, capitals, cornices, and friezes. This structure serves as the main entry point to the city from the waterfront and frames the harbor area.
Construction started in 1582 under Viceroy Marcantonio Colonna and finished in 1637 under architect Mariano Smiriglio. The work received additional refinements from Pietro Novelli afterward.
The outer face displays Renaissance elements facing the city and Baroque features toward the sea. This blend of styles shows how Palermo's architecture evolved over different periods.
The gate sits at the start of Via Vittorio Emanuele, once called Via Cassaro, and is easily accessible from the harbor. Visitors can view it from the waterfront or stand directly before it on this busy street.
Two statues of female saints, Santa Ninfa and Santa Cristina, stand on the outer buttresses facing the Mediterranean Sea. These figures held special meaning as protectors of the city and show a spiritual link to the water.
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