Palazzo and bomb shelter

 This morning I did my usual jaunt to the beach.  I started at 8am this time and found that it is warm enough and quiet enough that that is going to be my start time for the next two days.  I swam for an hour.  So wonderful.  Then went home, got ready, and walked to a little bar (café) and had the best pistachio granita and brioche ever in the history of the world.  And I'm not exaggerating:

There are two sites on my list today.  First to the Bellomo Palace gallery.  This noble mansion lived a life of nobility for around 300 years.  From the 15th to the 18th century, the family lived in the huge and splendid palazzo that is very close to my apartment and looks out over the sea.  Now it is a gallery filled with some of the family's collection as well as diverse medieval and Baroque art and artifacts.

First you enter into the standard internal courtyard.  Very elegant and light.

Then I just enjoyed walking and looking at things.  Didn't read many placards.  Just wanted to absorb the color and beauty.

These vestments and objects from the celebration of the mass are pretty gorgeous:

Look at these inlaid with coral:

After this I walked over to the Giudecca, which is the old Jewish quarter.  During the middle ages there was a thriving Jewish population here.  But it was decimated in the late 15th century as one of the crusades (pogroms) launched by Ferdinand II of Spain. Under this unassuming church, the church of San Filippo Apostolo, are fascinating layers of history.

You have to go with a guide because it's kind of dangerous.  So you walk down these very steep, chiseled steps into what was once the crypt of this church.  There are the old frescoes on the walls, a small altar, and places to prepare bodies for burial.  Because this was actually used as a crypt by the early Christians.

What they were actually using were miles of aqueducts that were carved out by the Greeks, about 2700 years ago.  These tunnels are a network under the city of Ortigia, and actually connect certain churches to each other.  During World War II, this was used as an air raid shelter.  It goes on and on. 

Here is some graffiti left by some people taking shelter:

And some other photos:

Digging down further they found that this structure had a Jewish life as well.  Involving a well.  This spiral staircase leading down to a well was used as a place for ritual bathing.

After all this, you have to climb back up and up and up......