Venetian Royal Palace

Palazzo del Proveditore, commonly known as the Venetian Palace, was a royal palace in Famagusta, originally built by the Lusignan Kings of Cyprus.

Located at the western end of the Namik Kemal Square, across from the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Lusignan kings used Famagusta as their second place of residence, in addition to Nicosia.

The exact year when the palace was first built is uncertain though the Genoese Notary Lamberto di Sambuceto who used the term “domini regis Cipri”(palace of the King of Cyprus) to refer to the building, indicates the years 1300 – 1302.

It was used as living accommodation until the reign of Peter II in 1369 when it was partially destroyed by earthquakes – the central sections of the palace completely demolished, only its grand façade and back courtyard walls remained from the tremors.

However, under the rule of the Venetians, they immediately began converting the city from French medieval to an Italian renaissance form. They moved the capital of Cyprus from Nicosia to Famagusta, and they greatly renovated the palace ruins in 1552 – 1554, transforming the Gothic style features and replacing them with Italian Renaissance architecture. 

Upon completion, the new palace was used as the residence of the Venetian Military Governor – the Proveditore. The palace was an immense building that stood to remind the population of Famagusta of the power and influence of their Venetian governors. The door to the palace opened up onto what was once the largest central square in all of Europe.

The final inhabitant of the Palazzo del Proveditore in 1569 was the appointed Captain General of Famagusta, Marco Antonio Bragadin, who led the Venetian resistance to the Ottoman conquest that began in 1570. He was famously killed in August 1571, enduring a slow death starting with the carving of his ears after the Ottomans took the city – the fall of which signalled the end of Western presence in the Mediterranean island for the next three centuries.

During the Ottoman rule, structures of the palace were used as military barracks, a prison and as a site for military drills and under British rule, the building was used for similar policing purposes.

Amongst the Ottoman prisoners was Namik Kemal, the Shakespeare of the Turkish literature, who was held here between 1873 and 1876, having been exiled to Cyprus after criticising the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz.

There is a bronze bust of the novelist facing the square named after him, by the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque across from the Palazzo.

In mid-20th century, the remaining structures from the palace were evacuated and parts were moved into the Namik Kemal Dungeon Museum, displaying the late distinguished writer’s life and his works.

Architecture

The Venetian Palace was largely destroyed by the Ottomans, but what little remains is impressive, and is a rare example of Renaissance architecture in Cyprus, at the time of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

The most noticeable surviving parts are the front façade, with its three arches, mirroring the triumphal archways of ancient Rome, supported by four genuine Roman columns raided from the ruins of the old nearby city of Salamis. Behind the façade are several arches that run parallel, much plainer in comparison, potential remnants of the original Lusignan palace.

Above the central arch a coat of arms can be seen, those of Giovanni Renier, the Italian Governor of Cyprus at the time in 1557. Further in you will find a chapel and an L-shaped wall that dates to the Venetian era. Small rooms facing the courtyard have been used as prisons or arsenals.

The courtyard exhibits military equipment including modern cannons and cannonballs as well ancient columns and sculptures, a delightful scenic spot to have a break when touring Famagusta.