Palazzo Fizzarotti in Bari: a palace built above the Mare Isabella source

Palazzo Fizzarotti, a grand edifice in Bari, Puglia, was erected in the year 1910, under the commission of Emanuele Fizzarotti, and designed by the architect Ettore Bernich, caposcuola dell’eclettismo italiano. Built above the underground source "Mare Isabella", this palace teems with art and culture. Inside, you'll find a curious mix of architectural styles, including the marvelous cycle of the Salon of Arts and Work, to which the mastery of the painter Rega belongs.

Ornamental friezes and wall murals, crafted by masons and artisans from Ravenna, still adorn the passageways. The palace was not constructed on firm ground, for in 1850, with the destruction of the medieval city walls and the extension of the city through the Murattiano quarter, two parcels of land were joined by Nicola Lagattola. This ground, sold to Nicola Loiacono in 1858, was transformed to accommodate the palace, which incorporated ancient structures from the 1200s.

Years went by, and the palace served multiple purposes. After the demise of Emanuele Fizzarotti in 1926, it became the property and the seat of the Banca del Fucino. From the 1960s to the 1980s, it served as the seat of the European Community offices. In 1947, Giosuè Poli took over the management of Palazzo Fizzarotti on behalf of Immobiliare Pugliese S.p.A, who subsequently worked to safeguard and recover the site.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons