Public Garden of Caltagirone
The Villa Vittorio Emanuele is the public garden of Caltagirone , one of the largest in Sicily.
The villa, located behind the Museum of Ceramics , has several entrances: the main one is located next to the Politeama Theater, the two secondary ones are from the Teatrino and from Viale Princess Maria José. < br> The construction of the municipal villa, originally called Villa Real Principessa Maria delle Grazie Pia, which took place in 1846, followed the model of the English parks according to the project of G. B. Filippo Basile.
The main entrance has a particular gate representing beams of marsh reeds where one can guess small fish, waterfowl and reptiles.
Inside the villa, along the avenues surrounded by the wonderful trees and exotic plants that make up the rich vegetation, there are numerous ornamental installations: terracotta vases, Sicilian majolica and Caltagirone Ceramics , excellence of local craftsmanship.
In the central square of the villa the Moorish-style music stage is in great evidence with polychrome majolica cladding.
At the entrance from Viale Princess Maria José, at the base of a double staircase there are majolica panels and, enclosed in a niche, a statue of Ceres, works that represent a hymn to nature .
In front of the entrance there is a ceramic balustrade that surrounds the area in front of the former Carabinieri barracks, now home to the Museum of Photography and temporary exhibitions .
In the boundaries of the villa there is also the former municipal library, a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture, now home to the International Nativity Scene Museum .
