Former Provincial Administration Building

Galluppi Square - 1926 - Designer: Arch.

Giuseppe Barbieri (Milan) Overlooking the historic Galluppi Square stands one of the most elegant examples of Liberty architecture in the South: the former Palace of the Provincial Administration. This building, inaugurated in 1926, not only represents an architectural masterpiece but also the symbol of a Catanzaro that looked to the future with ambition and modernity, becoming the catalyst for an urban transformation that would influence the entire city. A Visionary Project in a Historic Place The palace is located in an area of extraordinary historical stratification, a natural continuation north of Largo San Francesco (the ancient name of the current Basilica dell'Immacolata). Here, among noble palaces and sacred buildings, stood the ancient parish of Santa Maria de Plateis and the majestic facade of the Church of Gesù. The project was born from the far-sighted vision of lawyer Francesco Massara, a provincial councilor, supported by President Evelino Marincola San Floro (1909-1910). The idea was revolutionary: to demolish the ancient Larussa palace - home to the Consulate of Greece - to build a modern building that would house all provincial offices in one grand location. A Construction Site that Spanned Decades The realization was a titanic undertaking that spanned several administrations: - 1920-1923: Start of work under Michele Tedeschi - 1923-1924: Continuation with Hon. Edoardo Salerno - 1924-1925: Continuation with Nicola Froggio - 1925-1927: Completion under Antonio Le Pera, who provided the decisive impetus The Milanese architect Giuseppe Barbieri was assisted by the chief engineer of the Provincial Technical Office Giuseppe Parise, while the work was carried out by the company of Davide Rossi, which - as the newspaper of the time "Giovine Calabria" wrote - "quickly brought civilization to the building constructions of our Catanzaro". A Revolutionary Architecture Structural Innovation The palace represented a technological revolution for Catanzaro: one of the city's first reinforced concrete buildings, designed according to the most advanced anti-seismic standards of the time. With a facade 60 meters wide and a total area of 1000 square meters, the building is spread over three levels: ground floor, main floor, and second floor. Calabrian Liberty Architect Barbieri created an architectural language that blended Liberty modernity with Renaissance and Baroque references, in homage to the national tradition. The result is a refined eclecticism that characterizes the facade with: - Bush-hammered and smooth rusticated blocks creating plays of light and shadow - Decorative masks looking at the square with a solemn expression - Phytomorphic festoons softening the building's geometry - Mighty pilasters vertically punctuating the composition - Projecting cornices emphasizing the different levels - Wide stringcourses horizontally unifying the facade...