Palais Caraffa, Bastia, Palace in Terra Vechja district, Bastia, France
Palais Caraffa is a five-story stone building in the old town featuring decorated balconies and ornate ceiling paintings in its interior rooms. The structure combines two original sections built in different periods along Rue de la Miséricorde into a unified mansion.
The original house was built in 1612 for the Petroni family, but was later purchased and transformed around 1680 by Anton Bastiano Caraffa. His expansion added a significantly larger residence while keeping the original structure as its foundation.
This mansion was once a social hub for the city's elite, serving as a gathering place for influential families of Bastia. The decorated rooms and collections reflect the refined tastes of the people who lived here.
The building sits on Rue de la Miséricorde and has been owned by the city since 2002, meaning visits require advance arrangement with local authorities. Contacting the municipality ahead of time is necessary to schedule an interior tour.
One bedroom is named after Duke Ludwig von Württemberg, who stayed as a guest of the Caraffa family in 1741 during his travels through the region. This visit shows the mansion was known well enough to host dignitaries from abroad.
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