Built in Medieval times, the building was extended after in 1479 Pope Sixtus IV transformed it into the Monte di Pietà. In the 15th century, wing of the building, frescoes by the painter Lorenzo Fasolo are still preserved, including the Angelo Annunziante, La Pietà, La Madonna Annunziata and the exquisite Madonna della Misericordia, which depicts officials from the Monte di Pietà kneeling at the feet of the Virgin Mary. During the restoration works, paintings and writing dating back to the mid-16th century were discovered under the first layer of plaster, hinting at the possibility that in that period the building housed mercenary troops in Savona.
From December 2014, the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà houses the collection from the Savona Ceramics Museum, which is accessed from the ancient sixteenth-century passage of via Aonzo 9. Currently, it is possible to do a unique museum tour, through Palazzo Gavotti, home to the Municipal Art Gallery and the Milani/Cardazzo Collection. Click on the button below to discover more about the venue, on the website of the Municipal Art Gallery.
Discover Palazzo Gavotti
The restoration of Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, owned by the Agostino De Mari Foundation, and its transformation into a functional building, required several years.
Through an interesting fusion of ancient and contemporary elements, a careful architectural project was undertaken to ensure a harmonious balance of the original parts from the period and new elements, opting for contemporary designs and materials, such as steel and glass.
More on the restoration
