4. Beneventano Palace

The justification for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List reads: “Via Mormino Penna, due to the rich presence of eighteenth-century buildings, and Palazzo Beneventano represent a masterpiece of the human creative genius of the late Baroque age…”
Palazzo Beneventano, Scicli’s most famous and scenic noble palace, is one of the city’s most representative monuments (Fig. a). Numerous authors have included it in major Sicilian Baroque works.
It is located on the slopes of Saint Matthew Hill, between the ancient fortified citadel at the top of the hill and the modern 18th-century town.
Neither the architect’s name nor the construction period is known, probably from the second half of the 18th century. Like most Baroque buildings, Beneventano Palace stands out for its expert use of limestone, exquisitely processed by local craftsmen. Anthony Blunt called it “a rare example of fantastic decoration”, a palace to be discovered.
The corner design which characterises and emphasises it, is adapted to the sloping terrain (Fig. b). A mighty angle consisting of pilasters with lobed ashlars connects the two façades. At the top, the crowned coat of arms of the Beneventano family stands out, resting on two projecting open-mouthed Moorish heads (Fig. c), while a statue of Saint Joseph is placed at the bottom (Fig. d).
Divided into two orders, the first is characterised by openings with keystones decorated with masks of human caricatures.
In the second order, the balconies, in axis with the openings below, are supported by corbels made of monstrous and grotesque sculptural motifs depicting fantastic animals and have wrought-iron railings in the shape of a goose chest (Fig. e)..
The sculptural figures, endowed with absolute originality, are arranged in such a way as to be admired from below, with the specific purpose of attracting the attention of those who pass below them and astonishing them.
The building bears witness to the character of innovation, typical of the great cycle of architectural transformations that affected Scicli after the earthquake of 1693 (Fig. f).