Palazzo Arcivescovile e Tempio di Pomona

The Archbishop's Palace stands beside Salerno Cathedral. Its medieval façade incorporates reused columns and arch fragments set in tuff and travertine; the adjoining hall is known as the so-called Temple of Pomona.

Why it matters

The palace and hall preserve the architectural layers of Salerno's cathedral quarter. The palace's external colonnade, built between the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, is a striking example of medieval reuse of earlier architectural materials. The hall's origins remain debated; its traditional association with the Roman goddess Pomona is not accepted by archaeologists.

What to notice

The façade facing Via Roberto il Guiscardo combines varied column shafts, arch fragments, tuff and travertine with stone inlay. In the adjoining hall, six fluted columns with capitals carved as female heads divide the space beneath ogival arches. The palace's art includes four canvases by Francesco Solimena, eighteenth-century paintings attributed to Francesco Giordano and Didacus da Sessa, and the Salone degli stemmi, decorated with archbishops' coats of arms.

Context and history

The palace was built after the cathedral and connected to it by a passage containing the Cappella di Nona at the height of the transept. Centuries of additions altered the complex, and the Second World War damaged it. The new wing was reconstructed after the war. The adjoining hall's name reflects a tradition rather than a confirmed ancient dedication; its architectural history is still uncertain.