7. Fava Palace

The palace, an example of 18th-century Baroque architecture, located in Piazza Italia, is overlooked by the hill where the Church of Saint Matthew rises. It stands out among other 18th- and 19th-century palaces for its size (Fig. a) and the rich decoration of its openings. Construction began in the first two decades of the 18th century, and building work was completed by the middle of the same century.
After the murder of the family’s last descendant, Marquis Guglielmo Giustiniani Fava, in 1792, ownership of the palace passed to another family during the first half of the 19th century.
The main elevation, which faces Italy Square, is defined at the ends by two diamond ashlar pilasters and concludes with a cornice decorated with dense indentation (Fig. b).
On the ground floor, the entrance portal acts as the axis of symmetry of the façade, where six entrances open. The main entrance is bordered by two columns set on bases and with Corinthian capitals, crowned by cherubs’ heads. The keystone ashlar of the entrance arch is carved with a face adorned with acanthus leaves instead of hair (Fig. c).
On the second floor are balconies surmounted by broken gables, bordered by goose-breasted gratings and supported by corbels decorated with floral motifs, carved with masks (Fig. d). In the sumptuous tympanum of the balcony above the entrance is a coat of arms framed with two heads with 18th-century hairstyles depicting Marquis Guglielmo Giustiniani Fava and his wife, Anna La Rocca (Fig. e).
Of particular interest are the corbels supporting the only balcony on the side façade, including bearded faces in the lower part, two griffins, and two winged horses with the lower half of the body in the shape of a fish, ridden by cherubs in the upper part (Fig. f).