Old Seat of the Nobles
Point of interest
The Portercole Seat was erected in 1703 to house the parliament of the Nobles of Tropea. It stands on the site where previously there was the Royal Bagliva, in the plane of the Three Fountains. The Bagliva was a judiciary of the Norman period (XI-XII century), then reduced by the Anjou only to judicial (XIII-XV century). In 1704, in the covered porch were painted the coats of arms of noble families, then canceled in 1806, under French rule for the work of the General Colletta. It was restored the first time in 1810 to receive the King of Naples, Joachim Murat.
The coat of arms of the Seat, above the loggia, depicts a crowned lion flanked by another lion and hydra; at the top, a phoenix rising from the flames with a ribbon with the Latin inscription "renovant incendia nidos" (fires renew the nests). Council offices until 1867, was used again as a place for meetings and there siaggiunse the bell tower with the clock. The building, rectangular in shape, is on two levels, with a large room covered by a vault in reeds that still retains the original frescoes. The facade overlooking Ercole Square has a coating of granite on the ground floor, with niches originally engaged to host fountains carved in the puttto shape. On the side just outside the Three Fountains is a sundial and an inscription commemorating the Tropeani fallen in the First World War. In addition, there is another stone in honor of Dante Alighieri.
