The Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri is a 14th-century palace in Palermo, Sicily. Built for the powerful Chiaramonte family, it later served as the residence of the viceroys of Sicily and, from 1604 to 1782, as the seat of the Inquisition in Palermo; since 1943 it has housed the rectorate of the University of Palermo.
The palace was commissioned in the early 14th century by Giovanni “il Vecchio” Chiaramonte, one of the most powerful nobles of Sicily. Building work began around 1307 and continued through the later 14th century, with additions under his successors.[1]
Designed as both a fortified residence and a statement of dynastic prestige, it became the Chiaramonte family’s principal seat in Palermo and is considered the prototype of the so-called Chiaramontan Gothic style.[2]
The palace symbolised the Chiaramonte’s political influence during their control of the County of Modica. Following the execution of Andrea Chiaramonte in 1392 and the forfeiture of family lands, the Steri passed into royal hands.[3]
Royal and Spanish rule
Under the Aragonese—John II and Ferdinand II—and later the Spanish Habsburgs from Charles V, the Steri served as a viceregal residence and administrative seat; institutional summaries also note royal/viceregal use and parliamentary meetings.[4] From 1468 to 1517 it housed the viceroys during works at the Palazzo Reale (Palazzo dei Normanni).[5][6] A municipal summary also records later use by the customs administration.[7]
From the early 17th century the Steri became Palermo’s seat of the Inquisition (the Sicilian tribunal), formally the Tribunal of the Holy Office. In this context a tribunale (tribunal) was a church court that investigated and prosecuted offences against Catholic doctrine, such as heresy. Proceedings typically involved inquiry, interrogations, and sentencing; punishments ranged from penances and fines to imprisonment, with cases referred to secular authorities for enforcement when required.[2][8]
Institutional and scholarly summaries place the Inquisition’s Palermo phase at the Steri broadly from about 1600–1601 into the 18th century; focused studies on the prison evidence narrow the operating span of the Steri cells to 1604–1782.[2][9][7]
The complex included court rooms and a prison. Hundreds of inscriptions and drawings scratched by detainees survive on the cell walls, offering a rare first-hand record of beliefs, fears, and appeals from the period. The tribunal was abolished in 1782, ending the Inquisition’s activity at the Steri.[2]
Modern period
After the abolition of the Inquisition in 1782 the Steri ceased to have a judicial role and was reassigned to state use. In the late 18th and 19th centuries it accommodated offices of the royal customs administration and other government services.[7] By the early 20th century the building had deteriorated, leading to renewed interest in its conservation.
Restoration campaigns from the 1920s through the post-war decades sought to stabilise the fabric and highlight its medieval features. These works included uncovering the Inquisition cells and their wall inscriptions, which had been rediscovered in 1906 by the ethnologist Giuseppe Pitrè.[10] Later interventions emphasised the palace’s role as the prototype of Chiaramontan Gothic architecture, removing later accretions to restore the 14th-century appearance.[11]
Since 1943 the Steri has formed part of the University of Palermo, serving as the seat of the rector and housing university museums and collections.[2] Today it functions as a cultural complex open to the public, with spaces for exhibitions, conferences, and guided visits, as well as the permanent display of the prison graffiti.
The Steri is the prototype of the so-called Chiaramontan Gothic style, which combined Gothic forms with local and Islamic traditions. Built between the early and later 14th century, it was conceived both as a fortified residence and as a display of family prestige.
The palace has a massive, almost fortress-like façade facing Piazza Marina. Its walls are built in squared limestone blocks, rising in clean horizontal courses. The upper profile is marked by battlements, while the lower storeys are punctuated by pointed Gothic windows with elaborate tracery. The main entrance is set in a projecting portal decorated with carved foliage and heraldic motifs. On the north and east sides, the building retains its austere defensive character, with limited openings and corner towers that emphasise its fortified aspect.[11]
At the heart of the interior is the Sala Magna (Great Hall), originally the ceremonial space of the Chiaramonte family. It is covered by a vast wooden ceiling, richly painted with figurative cycles that include courtly, religious, and fantastical scenes. The ceiling is regarded as one of the most important surviving works of medieval painting in Sicily. The hall functioned as an audience chamber and later as the main courtroom of the Inquisition; today it is used for exhibitions and official ceremonies of the University of Palermo.[2]
In the basement are the cells used during the Inquisition period (17th–18th centuries). The walls are covered with graffiti left by prisoners, including devotional images, prayers, portraits, and appeals. These inscriptions are now preserved as part of the permanent museum itinerary and are considered a major historical source for the study of popular religion and daily life under the Inquisition.[2]
The palace complex incorporated the church of Sant’Antonio Abate, built alongside the residence in the 14th century. It served both the Chiaramonte household and later the Inquisition. Although altered in the modern period, the church retains Gothic elements in its pointed arches and ribbed vaulting. It now forms part of the museum circuit attached to the Steri.[12]
Gallery
Main entrance portal of the Steri on Piazza Marina.
Gothic bifora window on the façade.
Painted wooden ceiling of the Great Hall (Sala Magna).
Graffiti left by prisoners in the Inquisition cells.
Remains of an Arab-period workshop (opificio) beneath the Steri.
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