Corso Vittorio Emanuele connects Progresso Square to the port area. It was the core of main medieval and baroque art. On the sides of this course there are, in addition to the Cathedral, the Church and the cloister of San Francesco (described in the appropriate section), numerous aristocratic and of the rich bourgeoisie palaces erected between the ‘600-‘700, which were restored in the following two centuries, the most important are:
Re Theatre: Filippo Re Grillo from Licata realized it between 1919 and 1921 and bears his name. It was created as a place of culture and entertainment of the rich and wealthy bourgeoisie of that time.
Over the years, the theatre was also used as a cinema and in 1930, during the screening of a film, for the fear of a fire, which at the end did not occur, the fearful spectators ran away and because of the crowds that occurred at the exit there were several deaths with the consequent closure of the theatre. In the 1960s, the theatre was partially opened and in 2003, following a complete restoration, it was reopened to public.
Frangipane buildings II, rises majestically on the right side of the first section of the course occupying the whole area. The palace is the second one, in order of time, that the noble family Frangipane had built in Licata (the first one near the Cathedral, the third one in via Santa Maria). The palace is influenced by artistic influences typical of some buildings in eastern Sicily: from the shelves of balcony with masks to the rusticated front of the prospectus and the imposing central portal.
The palace, restored in its splendour, has been the main place of Banca Popolare Sant’Angelo (bank) since 1977.
At the corner of Elena square stood the first and ancient hospital of Licata, existing already in the second half of the fifteenth century. Of this old building remains part of the artistic prospectus, formed by some windows, by a Doric trabeazione and a carved column between the course and the square.
Verderame-Navarra building, the prospectus overlooking this course, presents on the main floor four balconies interspersed with two niches, while the entire attic is characterized by small windows with splayed frames.
Naselli building was owned by Comiso Counts. It is possible admire the beautiful portal of the entrance on which are carved faces of two founders of the ancient Gela, Antifemo from Rhodes and Entimo from Crete and two Latin epigraphs.
Vecchio verderame building, was the place of preparations for the resurgence and anti-borbonic insurrections. Interesting is the portal on which is carved the face of a man, almost certainly of the owner and founder, Matteo Vecchio Verderame. The interior is embellished with Art Nouveau frescoes, by Salvatore Gregorietti from Palermo who gave liveliness to the environment for the colors used and extremes allegorical subjects depicted.
