| Palazzo Montalto | |
|---|---|
Palazzo Montalto | |
 Palazzo Montalto in Trapani | |
 Interactive map of Palazzo Montalto | |
| General information | |
| Type | Palazzo |
| Architectural style | Liberty style |
| Location | Trapani, Sicily, Italy |
| Coordinates | 38°00′56″N12°30′54″E / 38.0154813°N 12.5149322°E |
| Construction started | Early 20th century |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Francesco La Grassa (attributed) |
Palazzo Montalto is an early 20th-century palazzo in Trapani, Sicily, noted for its Liberty style decorative elements. The building forms part of the architectural transformation of the city during the first decades of the 20th century and is attributed to the engineer-architect Francesco La Grassa. [1]
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Situated across the road from the Tribunale di Trapani (court), the palazzo is characterised by its corner façade, ornamental stucco work, wrought-iron balconies and other details typical of western Sicily’s Liberty period. [2]
In the 1920s the notary Giacomo Montalto commissioned engineer-architect Francesco La Grassa to design a new urban residence. The resulting palazzo is built on three storeys, with regularly aligned windows and balconies, and features a characteristic projecting bay window on the first floor — a reinterpretation in Liberty style of the classical "bovindo". [2]
The building is decorated throughout with vibrant colour schemes and rich ornamentation combining Liberty and early-Decò motifs. Elaborate stuccowork, patterned wallpapers and wrought-iron details extend from the floors to the ceilings, reflecting the exuberant decorative taste of the interwar period in Trapani. [3]
Since 2023 the palazzo has occasionally been opened to the public during heritage events organised by the Associazione Amici del Museo Pepoli, giving visitors access to its historic interiors, furnishings and Liberty-era decorative details. [4]
