Palazzo della Provincia, Neoclassical palace in Sassari, Italy.
The Palazzo della Provincia is a classical administrative building in central Sassari featuring a symmetrical stone facade with slender columns and regular window patterns. The structure displays clear geometric proportions that create a sense of orderly design typical of its architectural style.
In 1872 the province allocated 600,000 lire for a new seat, since the Provincia, Comune and Prefettura had shared cramped rooms in the teatro civico, palazzo d'Usini and palazzo Ducale. The first stone was laid on 18 October 1873 on the north-east side of Piazza d'Italia, then a hectare of packed earth; the building opened in 1878, the frescoes were finished in 1882 and the total cost reached 1,100,000 lire.
The Sala Sciuti, the council chamber, holds frescoes Giuseppe Sciuti painted in 1880–1881: the entry of Giommaria Angioy in 1796 and the proclamation of the Sassarese Republic of 1294. Twelve telamons depicting blindfolded Moors stand at mid-height, and the corners show Eleonora d'Arborea and Amsicora.
The palace occupies a whole block on the north-east side of Piazza d'Italia, facing the 1899 monument to Vittorio Emanuele II; the stepped ramp added in 1923 leads up to the square. The main entrance opens into an atrium with the World War I memorial plaques, then a corridor along the porticoed courtyard. It houses the Prefettura and provincial offices, so access is limited to working hours.
The council chamber, Sala Sciuti, has a 12.60-metre vault and twelve telamons depicted as blindfolded Moors. Its frescoes by Giuseppe Sciuti, finished in 1881, show Giommaria Angioy's 1796 entry into Sassari and the 1294 convention with Genoa; they were Sardinia's first large civil painting cycle.
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