Palazzo degli Uffici, Palace and Italian national heritage in Piazza Archita, Taranto, Italy
Palazzo degli Uffici is a palace building on Piazza Archita in Taranto with a rectangular footprint and multiple stories. The facade displays decorative Doric and Ionic pilasters, ornamented windows across the upper levels, and a mechanical clock positioned at its triangular pediment.
Construction started in 1787 under Ferdinand IV of Bourbon as an orphanage but was interrupted by political upheaval and only completed in 1894 under engineer Giovanni Galeone. The project thus spanned more than a century before reaching its finished state.
The building served as home to the Liceo Ginnasio Archita, a prestigious school where Italian statesman Aldo Moro completed his secondary education.
The palace has multiple ground-floor entrances and features decorated elements throughout its structure. Visitors should allow time to observe the various facade details and architectural features at a comfortable pace.
Excavations in 2006 uncovered four Jewish burials carved into the limestone rock beneath a classroom floor. These interments with their preserved remains suggest a long-standing Jewish presence in the region.
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