The Palazzo dell’Università degli Studi is a late 19th-early 20th century building in the Corso Umberto I in Naples. Construction of the building was part of a general urban renewl project known as the Risanamento.
Palazzo dell’Università degli Studi Naples
History and description
Although the main facade and entrance to the Palazzo dell’Università degli Studi is in the Corso Umberto I, the long side of this enormous building is in the Via Mezzocannone.
The building was constructed between 1897 and 1908. The design was the work of the architects Pierpaolo Quaglia and Guglielmo Melisurgo.
During World War II, the building was first damaged by Allied bombings and then set on fire by the retreating Germans.
In the 1980s a new reconstruction was necessary, to repair the damage caused by the earthquake.
Currently, the building houses the Rector’s Offices and some offices of the Faculty of Law. Both the facades and interiors were recently restored.
What to see
The most striking feature of the facade is the staircase to the entrance, flanked on both sides by sphinxes. The latter were sculpted by Alberto Ferrer and Domenico Pellegrino.
The Loggia above the entrance opens up into the Aula Magna.
The pediment is graced with a bas-relief depicting the foundation of the University by Frederick II in 1224. The sculptor was Francesco Jerace.
Useful information
Address: Corso Umberto I, 40.