Photo: Dedda71, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Historic villa / palace
Palazzo Sant'Elia
Building in Palermo, Italy
At a glance
- Coordinates
- 38°06′45″ N, 13°21′49″ E
History and description
The Palazzo Celestri di Santacroce, also known as the Palazzo Sant'Elia, is a Baroque-style aristocratic palace located on via Maqueda 90 in the ancient quarter of Kalsa of central Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. Once the urban palace of a wealthy and prominent family, a large portion of the palace is now used for exhibitions and private functions. The palace is diagonal to the Southeast of the Palazzo Comitini, and just a block north of the church of the Assunta.
History
The palace was built atop and enlarging a prior structure known as the Palazzo Imbarbara. The present structure was commissioned by Giambattista Celestri, 1st Marchese di Santa Croce, along with his brother Tommaso. Construction began in 1756, with the main layout and facade dictated by the designs by the architect and engineer Nicolò Anito. By 1760, the work proceeded under Giovanbattista Cascione Vaccarini, who determined some of the decoration, including the stuccowork, of the main courtyard and of the facade.
In 1866, Marianna Celestri di Santa Croce, the last heir, willed the property to her cousin Romualdo Trigona, prince of Sant'Elia. By 1984, the palace had become dilapidated, and was purchased by the Provincial government, who has funded the restoration.
Description
The baroque facade has two entrances, both with protruding grey marble doric columns. The entrance portal is surmounted by a gargoyle at the keystone. All the balconies have elegant brackets and iron grills. The piano nobile balconies have alternating triangular and rounded tympani, containing decorative bas-relief portraits or decorations. The interior courtyards are rich in arcades and stucco statuary and decoration.
The interior frescoes of the piano nobile are described by some as possessing subtle symbolism of the order of Free Masonry. The authors of the frescoes include Gioacchino Martorana and Elia Interguglielmi.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Palazzo Sant'Elia».
Photos
Getting there
Palermo CentraleTrain, nearest
500 m as the crow flies
Palazzo Sant'Elia
Palermo (Liberty Lines)1.5 km
Aeroporto di Palermo Falcone e Borsellino24.1 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore historic villas and palaces in Sicily
Frequently asked questions
Where is Palazzo Sant'Elia?
Palazzo Sant'Elia is in Palermo, in the province of Palermo (Sicily), Italy. GPS coordinates: 38.11241, 13.36369.
What else is there to see near Palazzo Sant'Elia?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzo Comitini (100 m away), Teatro di Santa Cecilia (300 m away), Palazzo Vetrano (300 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 5 photos
- Palazzo Sant'Elia — Dedda71, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Sant'Elia (Palermo) 20 06 2026 01 — Effems, CC0
- Palazzo Sant'Elia facciata — Stendhal55, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo sant'elia1 — Dedda71, CC BY 3.0
- Palermo balconate oro di Palazzo S.Elia — magalibobois from ITALIA, CC BY 2.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences