Palazzo Serra di Cassano

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Palazzo Serra di Cassano is a building in Naples, Italy. It is behind Piazza del Plebiscito on via Monte di Dio, the road leading up to the height of Pizzofalcone. The building is from the first half of the 1700s and represents the finest in the tradition of Neapolitan urban architecture. It was built by Ferdinando Sanfelice, also responsible for the construction of the nearby Nunziatella, the Bourbon military academy in the days of the Kingdom of Naples.

The building originally had entrances on two different streets; the one that used to open onto via Egiziaca facing the Royal Palace was closed many years ago, however, in 1799 when the owner closed it to protest the execution of his son, said to be involved in revolutionary activities of the Neapolitan Republic. He said the door would remain closed until the ideals for which his son died were realized. It is still closed. The dual portals of the entrance on via Monte di Dio open onto twin curved stairways leading up over an octagonal courtyard. The elegance of the decoration, chandeliers, inlaid marble, etc. make the Palazzo Serra di Cassano a paragon of regal Bourbon residences. Today it houses the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies.