Palazzo Chiaramonte

Construction and Chiaramonte period

The palace was commissioned in the early 14th century by Giovanni “il Vecchio” Chiaramonte, one of the most powerful nobles of Sicily. Building work began around 1307 and continued through the later 14th century, with additions under his successors.
Designed as both a fortified residence and a statement of dynastic prestige, it became the Chiaramonte family’s principal seat in Palermo and is considered the prototype of the so-called Chiaramontan Gothic style.
The palace symbolised the Chiaramonte’s political influence during their control of the County of Modica. Following the execution of Andrea Chiaramonte in 1392 and the forfeiture of family lands, the Steri passed into royal hands.

Royal and Spanish rule
Under the Aragonese—John II and Ferdinand II—and later the Spanish Habsburgs from Charles V, the Steri served as a viceregal residence and administrative seat; institutional summaries also note royal/viceregal use and parliamentary meetings. From 1468 to 1517 it housed the viceroys during works at the Palazzo Reale (Palazzo dei Normanni). A municipal summary also records later use by the customs administration.
From the early 17th century the Steri became Palermo’s seat of the Inquisition (the Sicilian tribunal), formally the Tribunal of the Holy Office. In this context a tribunale (tribunal) was a church court that investigated and prosecuted offences against Catholic doctrine, such as heresy. Proceedings typically involved inquiry, interrogations, and sentencing; punishments ranged from penances and fines to imprisonment, with cases referred to secular authorities for enforcement when required.
Institutional and scholarly summaries place the Inquisition’s Palermo phase at the Steri broadly from about 1600–1601 into the 18th…

The Steri is the prototype of the so-called Chiaramontan Gothic style, which combined Gothic forms with local and Islamic traditions. Built between the early and later 14th century, it was conceived both as a fortified residence and as a display of family prestige.
The palace has a massive, almost fortress-like façade facing Piazza Marina. Its walls are built in squared limestone blocks, rising in clean horizontal courses. The upper profile is marked by battlements, while the lower storeys are punctuated by pointed Gothic windows with elaborate tracery. The main entrance is set in a projecting portal decorated with carved foliage and heraldic motifs. On the north and east sides, the building retains its austere defensive character, with limited openings and corner towers that emphasise its fortified aspect.
At the heart of the interior is the Sala Magna (Great Hall), originally the ceremonial space of the Chiaramonte family. It is covered by a vast wooden ceiling, richly painted with figurative cycles that include courtly, religious, and fantastical scenes. The ceiling is regarded as one of the most important surviving works of medieval painting in Sicily. The hall functioned as an audience chamber and later as the main courtroom of the Inquisition; today it is used for exhibitions and official ceremonies of the University of Palermo.
In the basement are the cells used during the Inquisition period (17th–18th centuries). The walls are covered with graffiti left by prisoners, including devotional images, prayers, portraits, and appeals. These inscriptions are now preserved as part of the permanent museum itinerary and are considered a major historical source for the study of popular religion and daily life under the Inquisition.
The palace complex incorporated the…