Palazzo Gravina

by Fabio Mangone

The current structure of Palazzo Gravina, the historic building of the School (later Faculty and eventually Department) of Architecture located in Monteoliveto, is the result of a much more complex and troubled history than the one suggested by its homogeneous appearance as a compact Renaissance palace.
The construction of this emblematic residence of the Orsini family began on a plot of the extensive grounds and gardens that Ferdinando, Duke of Gravina, had obtained from the Santa Chiara monastery in 1513, located near the old Aragonese walls, between the high enclosure of the convent and the street then known as the Incoronata, which later became Monteoliveto.
The construction of the palace started immediately, following a strict Renaissance design that, in line with other prestigious Neapolitan residences, featured a robust ashlar facing.
However, the construction site experienced a long hiatus due to the political and military turmoil following the siege of 1528 during the War of the League of Cognac, and the subsequent seizure of Ferdinando’s assets on charges of treason.
He was later reinstated in his properties after paying a substantial fine.
Once work resumed, the construction was still in progress in 1549, when Duke Ferdinando passed away.
The issue of its attribution is not entirely resolved, although it is likely that different figures may have been involved in the lengthy development of the building.
In 1539, while the works were still ongoing, Benedetto Di Falco mentioned an author named ‘Gabriel D’Angelo napolitano’, whereas a notarial document dating back to 1549 attested to the existence of joinery designs by the architect Giovanni Francesco Di Palma, known as Il Mormando.
Regardless, after the founder’s death, no considerable effort seemed to be devoted by the Orsini heirs to continue the construction of the palace – which was also constrained by the principle of entailment.
They gradually subleased the adjacent lands acquired from Santa Chiara to third parties, inevitably resulting in a denser built context and reduced expansive perspectives of the structure.
The perception of the building mainly relies on the design of the façade rather than its overall volume.
In reality, as both Leandro Alberti in 1577 and Giulio Cesare Capaccio in 1635 lamented, the building appears incomplete.
This impression primarily arises due its magnificent façade, which represents an ideal continuation of the concept expressed by Bramante in the so-called Casa di Raffaello, built without a portal.
Furthermore, after the beautiful hypostyle atrium, the courtyard, which ideally opens towards the gardens, was not entirely defined by the arcaded portico on the opposite side, but rather only partially and asymmetrically on the two lateral fronts.
The subsequent phase of improvements corresponds to the era of Domenico Orsini, who became Duke in 1734 and a cardinal in 1743.
From the 1760s, the building acquired a beautiful Doric portal, featuring its own distinct artistic expression, designed by Mario Gioffredo, who established in the fluted column an ideal connection with the temples of Paestum, to the rediscovery of which he had contributed.
The most prominent painters of the time, including Giuseppe Bonito, Francesco De Mura, and Fedele Fischetti, were involved in the interior decorations, while the most influential architects of the time were consulted, even if only for advice.
These included Luigi Vanvitelli – who suggested the alternate closure of the courtyard spans, Ferdinando Fuga, and Pompeo Schiantarelli.
During this phase, an additional floor was also added, appearing as an attic on the façade.
The 19th century marked a period of economic decline for the Orsini family who, overwhelmed by debts, alienated the property in 1834, which led to significant modifications and transformations.
In 1837, it was acquired by Giulio Cesare Ricciardi, Count of Camaldoli who, in 1838, entrusted the architect Nicola d’Apuzzo with substantial transformations, aiming to convert the ancient noble residence into an income-generating dwelling.
Not only did these alterations impact the interiors, but they also dramatically changed the monumental façade, where shops and a mezzanine floor were added respectively to the lower levels and the noble floor, thus attracting a lot of criticism even at that time.
In the heated atmosphere of 1848, the building – which served as the headquarters of a group of liberal anti-Bourbon activists – was set on fire, suffering severe damage.
In 1849, the building was expropriated for public utility reasons and restored by architect Gaetano Genovese and engineer Benedetto Lopez Suarez.
It was during this phase that the block facing via Carrozzieri was completed.
In this configuration, the building housed various functions and public offices – mainly postal services with public counters on the ground floor, the stamp administration, a sector of the Ministry of Finance, and the administration of Bridges and roads.
After World War II, extensive consolidation work, directed by Camillo Guerra, became necessary due to subsidence of the basement floor.
In the late 1930s, with the construction of a new, larger, modern, functional postal building in the new Rione Carità, a discussion arose about the fate of Palazzo Gravina.
While preventing it from becoming the site of the Gallery of Modern Art, the proposal put forward by dean Alberto Calza Bini ultimately prevailed, with Palazzo Gravina being designated as the main building for the Faculty of Architecture.
Emerging from a branch of the Academy of Fine Arts – but subsequently achieving autonomy and eventually becoming affiliated with the University of Naples – the School of Architecture had been affected by its occupation of the Academy premises.
This was also due to the coexistence with courses in Painting, Sculpture, and Set Design, which might have led to uncertainties for the architectural students about the new educational paths – not only artistic but also humanistic and scientific.
The restoration of Palazzo Gravina, overseen by Calza Bini himself, aimed on one side to restore the monumental values of the 16th-century building – particularly evident in the reinstatement of the façade and the counter façade, and on the other to meet the needs of this particular study programme – reflected in the design studios on the second floor, featuring skylights.
As the educational needs for architecture teaching have expanded, Palazzo Gravina is no longer the sole location, but it remains the most prestigious one.
Its cultural value is enhanced by the presence, on the noble floor, of two important specialised libraries, both rich in extremely rare and ancient texts, as well as cartographic and photographic collections: the Central Library, named after Edorardo Persico, and the Library of the Department of Architecture, named after Roberto Pane.

From the volume "Passeggiando per la Federico II" (second updated edition) edited by Alessandro Castagnaro - photographs by Roberto Fellicò - FedOAPress