Welcome to Palazzo Santa Ninfa
Located in the heart of the historic center, between Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via dei Cartari, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious buildings in Palermo.
The palace, which was the home of the Counts Ventimiglia of Prades, the Dukes Platamone of Larderia first and the Princes Mantegna of Gangi later, was erected in 1571 by the Savona merchant Paolo Ferreri although it is likely that pre-existing buildings were incorporated in the 16th-century building site, unified only in the elevation design. Although subject over the last few centuries to extensions, mutations and renovations, it is still possible to grasp some aspects of the early design. The plan layout of the palace features a wide atrium and a vast central hall passing through and opening onto the courtyard through a majestic three-light loggia. The nine bays of the ground floor, were used as workshop rooms and laid out with an ashlar order made of fine exposed stone.
On the side elevation of vicolo Madonna del Cassaro is the 17th-century Edicola della Sacra Famiglia e San Lorenzo by Gerardo Astorino.
In 1885 the spacious halls of the aristocratic floor housed the Palermo Art Circle and was home to the Department of History and Design in Architecture from the University of Palermo until Dec. 31, 2010.
It is only in recent times that knowledge of the palace’s centuries-old history has emerged in large part through the research of Professor Camillo Filangeri. (https://www.unipa.it/Sedi/)
Where we are
We are located in Palermo at 452 Vittorio Emanuele Street.