Riccio di Morana Palace

A town novel between fortunes and descents

The building had been property of Moranas already in XIV c. and it underwent several changes passing in and out of many a noble family. The last owner were the Barons Adragna d'Altavilla who sold it to the Provincia Regionale of Trapani. It still preserves the old fashioned charming traits of the town noble abodes.

The palace known as Riccio di Morana, after the name of the first couple ho lived there, is one of the most fascinating in Trapani. It is recorded in some ancient paper it was of Moranas already in 1621. The building underwent several changes across the centuries since it had many a owner, but were Moranas who called the architect Andrea Giganti in 1773 to give it a new wonderful front. Only few years later the palace was sold to the Agustinian Friars. The front has three levels divided by sturdy eaves, and three levels of windows. The middle level shows a long balcony of wrought iron worked in the shape of a goose breast - petto d'oca -. At the sides of  the central  glass door there are two statues representing  richness and nobility. The other glass doors on this level have little sculptures on their top. A high central Tympanum frames the coat of arms of Riccios and it seams it points out the attic edge with its ten statues representing human virtues. Crossed the huge bronze door a covered hall with a cross vault, is adorned by the coat of arms of the Barons Adragna d'Altavilla who had bought the palace from Venutis in 1875. The courtyard opens with three porched sides on the first two levels and a single porch on the third. A wide stair with a wrought iron banister leads to the main floor where a long enfiladed drawing rooms ends with a hall fine adorned: paved with precious Trapanese majolicas, its domed ceiling shows floral wreaths in the Rococò style. On the walls several paintings from the XVI Neapolitan taste, represents rustic scenes and Romans ruin. The Apollo's hall, is another of these precious rooms. It looks on Via Garibaldi and preserves plasters around a fresco by La Bruna on its Plat-fond vault. In 1958 the last of Altavilla Barons, Francesco, sold the palace to the Provincia Regionale di Trapani. It is told that with the furniture of his bedroom he was able to entirely furnish the flat where he moved to.