Domus Fra' Giovanni
Salerno, Italy
Salerno, Italy
The apartment is located inside a building dating back to the Late Medieval period (estimated to be around 1300).
From the entrance to Vicolo dei Barbuti there is a coat of arms referring to a sacrae domus hospitalis marie mercedes, that is, the sacred house of the hospital of Maria Mercede, run by the Order of Mercede.
The literal translation is "hospital," but some historical interpretations have led to the conclusion that it would be more appropriate to refer to a hostel, a place of welcome for wayfarers seeking a place to eat and rest.
The main facade of the palace faces Larghetto frà Giovannni, named after Giovanni da Salerno, a priest of the Order of Dominican Friars. The palace was acquired by the Dominican Order in 1600. In 1720 it became the property of the city administration at a time of great crisis for the city of Salerno following the plague epidemic of 1688. It remained the property of the various city administrations in the succession of centuries, remaining almost abandoned, passing into the Kingdom of Naples in 1799 until the 1790s, when a number of apartments were carved out of the palace and acquired by private individuals.
The main facade of the palace faces Larghetto frà Giovannni, named after Giovanni da Salerno, a priest of the Order of Dominican Friars. The palace was acquired by the Dominican Order in 1600. In 1720 it became the property of the city administration at a time of great crisis for the city of Salerno following the plague epidemic of 1688. It remained the property of the various city administrations in the succession of centuries, remaining almost abandoned, passing into the Kingdom of Naples in 1799 until the 1790s, when a number of apartments were carved out of the palace and acquired by private individuals
The entire main floor and this apartment specifically, was purchased by professor Giuseppe Liuccio, former president of the Amalfi Tourist Board, who started a complex restoration project on the property and brought it back to light frescoes, wooden beams and paintings which were then restored and affixed with various methodologies to the beams of the bedroom overlooking the Larghetto.
The restoration intervention was completed using local construction materials such as ceramics from Vietri and terracotta from Ogliara, and the entire process was monitored by the Office of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Salerno and Avellino.
