Palazzo Ajutamicristo is a Late-

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

and

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

-style aristocratic palace located on VIa Garibaldi #23 of the ancient

Kalsa Kalsa or Mandamento Tribunali is a historical quarter of the Italian city of Palermo in Sicily. It is sometimes referred to as la Kalsa or the Kalsa. Names The common name of the quarter, ''Kalsa'', derives from the district's historic Arabic ...

quarter of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, region of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, Italy. It rises about a block south of Piazza Rivoluzione.

History

It was constructed between 1495 and 1501 by Guglielmo Ajutamicristo, Baron of Misilmeri and

Calatafimi Calatafimi-Segesta, commonly known as simply Calatafimi, is a ''comune'' in the province of Trapani in the Italian region of Sicily. It has 6,019 inhabitants. The full name of the municipality was created in 1997 and is meant to highlight the pres ...

. Originally a merchant from a Pisan family, Ajutamicristo made his fortune trading in Sicilian cheese and cereals. The palazzo was built to celebrate and display the family's newly amassed wealth. The architect selected was the eminent Matteo Carnilivari and a site chosen in the street now called Via Garibaldi, close to the now demolished Termini Gate. The original plan was for a far larger and extravagant house; however, these plans had to be modified and financial restraint exercised. Thus, the completed house was smaller than originally intended. In spite of its reduced size the house became a centre of Sicilian

high society High society, sometimes simply Society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth, power, fame and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open ...

, and was considered a residence superior to Palermo's royal palace. As a consequence, the Ajutamicristos entertained many leading political figures of the day: the

Queen of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first Sicilian Vespers, separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou ...

was entertained in great style at the house in 1500, and the Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

in 1535. The Ajutamicristo's ownership of the house was to be short-lived, and in 1588 the owner, Margherita Ajutamicristo, sold the building to Francesco Moncada, Ist Prince of Paternò. The property remained in the ownership of the

Paternò Paternò () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania, in the Italy, Italian region of Sicily. With a population (2016) of 48,009, it is the third municipality of the province after Catania and Acireale. Geography Pa ...

family for two hundred years until the 18th century when it was sold to Baron Calefati di Canalotti in whose family it has remained until the present day. The Calefati family had many of the salons remodelled. Of particular note is the frescoed ballroom with its ceiling painted by Giuseppe Crestadoro depicting ''The Glory of the Virtuous Prince''. Presently the palace has multiple uses, including private residence of the Calefati family, bedrooms can be rented at a bed and breakfast, and the piano nobile or courtyard may be rented for private functions.

Description

The exterior consists of rectangular stones of various sizes linked by mortar. The main portal is asymmetrically located on the south end, it was meant to be flanked by symmetric wings. The portal has a robust stone arch. The Northern wing has a merlionated roofline, and second and third story balconies. The second story balconies have sturdy stone brackets.

External links

Palazzo Ajutamicristo
{{Authority control Houses completed in 1501 Ajutamicristo Museums in Palermo Gothic architecture in Palermo Renaissance architecture in Palermo Historic house museums in Italy 1501 establishments in the Spanish Empire