Palazzo Pignatelli di Strongoli, Noble palace in Riviera di Chiaia, Naples, Italy

Palazzo Pignatelli di Strongoli is a noble residence on Riviera di Chiaia in Naples featuring a white marble Doric colonnade that frames the entrance and supports a large balcony. The family coat of arms of the Pignatelli sits prominently above the main portal.

The palace was built in the second half of the 18th century and remodelled in neoclassical style in 1820 by Antonio Niccolini for the Prince of Strongoli. In 1860 Prince Francesco Pignatelli, Count of Melissa, married Adelaide del Balzo here; she founded an academy of letters and sciences in the building and was one of three women in the Accademia Pontaniana.

Adelaide des Baux, who married Prince Francesco Pignatelli in 1860, founded an academy for letters and sciences within these walls. Her intellectual circle drew scholars and thinkers from across Naples to gather here.

The palace is located on Riviera di Chiaia in central Naples and can be accessed directly from the main street. Its position in this busy area makes it easy to visit while exploring the neighborhood.

In the courtyard, beside the open staircase, stands a watering trough carved from piperno, the grey volcanic stone of the Campi Flegrei used across Naples. It is easy to walk past on the way to the entrance portal.