Sarcinelli Palace: A Renaissance Art Gallery in Conegliano, Italy
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Italy
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Venetian
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Elite Residence
On this page8 sections
History
Sarcinelli Palace is a Renaissance building in Conegliano, Italy, built in 1518 by the Ceneda branch of the Sarcinelli family. Led by Antonio Sarcinelli, the family also maintained a branch in Serravalle. Their Conegliano residence followed the model of the family’s contemporary Renaissance palace at Serravalle and became one of the most sumptuous buildings in the historic center, on the street then known as Contrada Granda and now called Via XX Settembre.
The Sarcinelli Residence
The palace belonged to the Sarcinelli family during its period of greatest prominence. In 1556 it hosted Bona Sforza, queen of Poland and grand duchess of Lithuania. Maximilian III of Austria, a Habsburg archduke, also stayed there, as did Henry III of France, who visited in 1574. These associations place the residence within the ceremonial and political life surrounding one of Conegliano’s leading families.
Municipal and Cultural Use
During the twentieth century, Sarcinelli Palace became municipal property. It had previously housed the municipal library, which moved to another location during the 2000s. Since 1988, the building has housed Conegliano’s gallery of modern and contemporary art. The institution was founded under the guidance of Marco Goldin, who directed it until 2002. Restoration took place in 2008 and 2009, and the Municipality of Conegliano remains the owner. The palace continues to function as an art gallery and cultural venue.
Remains
The palace follows a traditional sixteenth-century plan and presents an imposing facade arranged across three levels. Its exterior combines a ground-floor portico and entrance with the formally important main residential floor above, while the attic completes the symmetrical elevation.
Facade and Exterior Details
Portico and Entrance
The ground floor is formed by a portico with five round-arched openings. Each pillar carries a sculpted head among floral decoration, giving the lower facade a strongly ornamental character. The entrance is a rectangular portal framed by two Corinthian columns, whose capitals follow a classical column design with richly decorated forms. A mezzanine, or partial intermediate floor, occupies the same level.
Principal Floor and Attic
Above a horizontal string course, the principal floor contains two pairs of round-arched single-light windows in stone frames. The central hall is associated with an elegant four-light window, a window divided into four openings, set within a stone frame and supported by three Ionic columns of pink marble. Balustrades run across all the openings on this floor. Above it, the attic has square openings arranged symmetrically along the facade, beneath a dentilled cornice with a repeating row of small tooth-like blocks.
Interior Halls
Several interior halls retain stucco work, a molded or applied plaster finish, together with bas-reliefs, which are shallow relief sculptures projecting slightly from their background. These decorative interiors reflect the prestige associated with the palace’s historic owners.
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