Palazzo Villa-De Mansis

The Villa-De Mansis Palace is a site of historical interest situated in Via Napoli, Contrada.

Dating back to the mid-17th century, the building was taken over by the Villa family in 1870. It stands on the spot where the ancient Hospice was built in 1170. Along with the Church of Madonna di Monserrato (Our Lady of Monserrato), the building stands in the medieval centre of the district known as Casale di Ospedale, forming the central point of the ‘sun ray’ configuration from which the narrow streets of the village branch outwards.

An imposing monument, Villa De Mansis Palace dominates the square in front of it. It has a two-storey façade, cadenced with balconies and windows and an imposing stone portal bearing the crest of a rampant lion. On the right-hand side, a passageway joining the Palace to the Church of Madonna di Monserrato once allowed the aristocratic family to attend official functions directly from the Church, so they did not have to go out and mingle with the crowd. In the entrance hall, with its vaulted roof, it is still possible to see traces of frescoes bearing the family coat of arms. The hall leads into the inner courtyard, paved with varicoloured stones; on two sides of the courtyard there are areas used as storage rooms, cellars and stables as well as an ancient olive mill. On the other two sides there are stone pilasters surmounted by vaulted arches made from ashlars. 

Outside the Palace is a typical Italian garden. Dating from the mid-17th century, it is of such outstanding beauty as to be listed in the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage Guide to Historic Parks and Gardens.