Palazzo Sangiovanni o Palazzo dei Diamanti Zigzagati

Palazzo Sangiovanni, also known as the Palazzo dei Diamanti Zigzagati, is a Renaissance palace in Alessano noted for its diamond-point rustication.

Why it matters

The facade's projecting diamond pattern is unusual among Alessano's historic buildings and reflects Renaissance architectural vocabulary in the southern Salento.

What to notice

The ground-floor portal interrupts the rusticated stonework with a round arch and plant-motif decoration. Above it, two upper floors have regularly arranged arched windows; the piano nobile windows are framed by pilasters and entablatures. Part of an upper-storey wing was demolished after structural problems.

Context and history

The palace was built at the end of the fifteenth century during the rule of the Del Balzo family. It later belonged to Francesco Surgente, bishop of Monopoli, and Pompeo Almotrino. The Sangiovanni family acquired it in 1643, giving the building its present name. It is privately held and protected as a heritage building.