Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri

Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri, usually called Steri, stands on Piazza Marina in the old harbour district of Palermo, Sicily, Italy. It was built from 1307 by Manfredi I Chiaramonte, a powerful Sicilian baron, as a fortified residence, and its name is thought to come from hosterium, a term for a fortified house. The palace is a major example of the Chiaramonte Gothic style, combining Norman, Arab and Gothic features, with a facade of pale stone, mullioned windows with lava-stone inlay and crenellations. After the Chiaramonte family fell from power in 1392, with the execution of Andrea Chiaramonte, the building passed to the Crown and was used by Spanish viceroys, the customs authority and, from 1601 to 1782, the tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition. The cells of the Inquisition are one of the most moving parts of the visit, because prisoners covered the walls and ceilings with drawings, inscriptions, prayers and symbols. These graffiti, discovered during restoration in the 1900s, are a rare record of the experiences of the accused. The palace also contains the Sala Magna, the great hall, with a painted wooden ceiling of the 14th century decorated with scenes from the Bible, mythology and chivalry, which is one of the key works of medieval Sicilian painting. The building was long used as a courthouse and was badly neglected until its restoration in the second half of the 20th century. Since 1971 it has been the seat of the rectorate of the University of Palermo. The restoration has preserved the main rooms and the cells, which are now a museum of the Inquisition, with displays on the history of the tribunal. A restored courtyard and a small museum shop complete the visit. The palace is a valuable window onto the medieval, Spanish and Inquisition history of Palermo, and its position on Piazza Marina makes it easy to combine with other sights in the Kalsa district.