Palazzo Beneventano

Palazzo Beneventano is a celebrated Baroque residence in Scicli, distinguished by two richly sculpted façades. Moorish head masks, banded pilasters and balconies supported by carved corbels give the building its distinctive character.

Why it matters

The palace is identified in the UNESCO nomination as Scicli's most famous noble residence and is cited alongside the street it faces as a masterpiece of late-Baroque architecture. Art historian Anthony Blunt also praised its originality. Its sculptural façades reflect the rebuilding and artistic flowering of south-eastern Sicily after the 1693 earthquake.

What to notice

At the corner, a heavy cornice joins the two façades. Banded pilasters rise above two Moor heads, with a figure of Saint Joseph below. Along the fronts, carved corbels support balconies with wrought-iron railings; masks and human faces appear around the lower windows. The sculptural details are attributed to local stone carvers.

Context and history

Palazzo Beneventano belongs to the Baroque rebuilding that transformed Scicli after the earthquake of 1693. The late-Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, including Scicli, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002. The palace and Via Francesco Mormino Penna are cited together for their contribution to this sculptural urban ensemble.