GRAND BUILDINGS and LOGGIAS

A walk among the noble renaissance residences and the squares with medieval loggias; now as then the meeting places of the community and commerce.

IMPORTANT SITES

Since the middle ages the courthouse in Finale is remembered as the “building where justice was administrated” by the Del Carretto marquises. This building represents a beautiful example of power architecture, that, until a few years ago, had maintained for centuries its original function.

The courthouse in Finalborgo

The courthouse in Finalborgo

The grounds of Villa Gallesio-Sanguineti lie on the gentle eastern slopes of the Valle dell’Acquila (Italian: Aquila Valley) behind Finalborgo.

Gallesio-Sanguineti Mansion

Gallesio-Sanguineti Mansion

Palazzo Ricci in Finalborgo faces Santa Caterina square but originally the main entrance had a grand black stone portal that was set in the narrow Via del Municipio street.

Palazzo Ricci

Palazzo Ricci

Noble buildings

Palazzo Cavasola

Palazzo Cavasola

In Finalborgo the palace that once belonged to the Counts of Arnaldi closes on the western side Pizza del Tribunale.

Palazzo Arnaldi

Palazzo Arnaldi

In Finalmarina, in Via Roma, behind the Platea magna commercial area there is a prestigious black stone entrance that is linked to the Malvasia family that is a noble Finalese family that made its fortune with maritime trade with Spain and other areas of the Mediterranean.

Malvasia Palace in Finalmarina

Malvasia Palace in Finalmarina

Palazzo Buraggi in Finalmarina

Palazzo Buraggi in Finalmarina

Palazzo Buraggi - via Pertica

Palazzo Buraggi – via Pertica

Palazzo Buraggi – via Pertica

The Buraggi family that is originally from the Val Sciusa area had moved to Finalmarina and between the 17th and 18th century owned two prestigious palaces.

Villa Buraggi

Villa Buraggi

In Finalmarina the palace that belongs to the Counts of De Raymondi in Via Ghiglieri is an example of a 18th-19th century aristocratic home.

Palazzo De Raymondi

Palazzo De Raymondi

Modern and medieval loggias

In piazza San Bartolomeo in Gorra, following the road for Colle del Melogno, a suggestive medieval loggia opens on the ancient road. What it was used for remains uncertain: it may have been used as a public area destined to the community of Gorra, organised in Compagna at least from 1268, or it may have been linked to one of the medieval roads that went towards the Alta Val Maremola and Melogno hill.

The loggia of Gorra

The loggia of Gorra

In Finalborgo, in the current Piazza Aycardi, the so-called “loggia of Ramondo” opens on the ground floor of the tall façade of palazzo Brunengo, on which are preserved faint traces on an ancient heraldic decoration.

The loggia of Ramondo in Finalborgo

The loggia of Ramondo in Finalborgo

A typical example of a porched area dedicated to commercial activities is that of the vaulted porch placed underneath the façades of the prestigious residences that are the background of todays Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Finalmarina. The vaults are held by strong Finale stone square or hexagonal pillars; the blocks of Finale stone come from the quarries of the Val Sciusa valley.

The loggia of Platea Magna

The loggia of Platea Magna

Map of the Grand buildings and Loggias