Palazzo Nesci is an old neoclassical building in the historic centre of Reggio Calabria, on the corner of Corso Garibaldi and via Valentino, and is the only building on the entire street to survive the earthquake of 1908.
What to see
The building was constructed in 1824 to a design by the Reggio engineer Porchi, in the period after the earthquake of 1783, when the reconstruction plan by the urban planner Mori redesigned the layout of the city and created the Bourbon avenue, today's Corso Garibaldi; originally belonging to the noble Reggio family of Melissari, it is now owned by the Nesci family, from whom it takes its name, and occupies part of the square where the ancient Byzantine cathedral once stood before its destruction.
Built with very thick stone walls reinforced with wood and a sturdy load-bearing frame, the palace survived the devastating earthquake of 1908 almost intact, suffering only the collapse of some ceilings on the top floor; years later, however, new anti-seismic regulations promoted by mayor Giuseppe Valentino set height limits for new buildings, and the palace, which had one storey more than the new limit allowed, was forced — amid controversy — to demolish its damaged upper floor, receiving other premises across the street as partial compensation.
Visiting
The palace, today partly occupied by shops on the ground floor, can be admired from outside while walking along Corso Garibaldi.
Our editors' tip
Take a close look at the thick stone walls on the ground floor: they are the reason this building, unique on the whole street, came through almost unscathed the earthquake that levelled 19th-century Reggio.
