Palazzo Ricciardelli

Ricciardelli Palace is a historic building that stands in Piazzetta Arnaldo da Brescia, in the centre of Aiello del Sabato, close to the Church of San Sebastiano e San Fabiano.

Originally owned by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Montevergine, the Palace was acquired by the Ricciardelli family, whose coat of arms can be seen on the large entrance door. According to Beatrice De Ciuceis, the daughter of the building’s current owner, it appears that during the 1940s the building was “leased by the Carabinieri”.

Although the Palace has been damaged several times by earthquakes, particularly after 1980, its 17th-18th-century structure is still intact today, although it has undergone various alterations over the years. Today, visitors can still admire the inner courtyard, the stairway with its original marble steps, the alcoves, the garden (which used to be the cloister) and the skilfully-finished stone portals.

The beauty of the interior combines with the air of mystery typically found in houses that conceal secret passages: Ricciardelli Palace is connected to the Church of San Sebastiano by an internal cloister, below which is a passageway once used by the nuns to enter the Church without being seen in public. For security reasons, the passage was walled up during World War II.