Palazzo Del Bene, or Del Ben - Conti d'Arco, is on piazza Rosmini, in Rovereto. It was built in the fifteenth century by the Del Bene as a residence outside the walls; it then passed to the counts of Arco, who altered and enlarged it, and in the seventeenth century to the nuns of San Carlo, who rented it out. Bought by the town council, from 1877 to 1904 it was the post office, with the words «IMP. REG. POSTA E TELEGRAFO» across the whole front. From 1904 it passed to the Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto, which made it its seat.
What to see
Today's appearance is that of the restoration of 1906, entrusted to Augusto Sezanne, who completely changed the look of the building: it is extremely rich in decoration and follows the style of the Venetian Renaissance. The wall paintings on the outer walls show the seasons, with floral motifs; the staircase is monumental, and both staircase and interiors have richly decorated coffered ceilings.
From the almost total remaking of the fronts a Virgin and Child by Francesco Verla was saved, and can still be seen on one side, in the little square at the start of via Orefici.
Visiting
The palace has been a bank's seat: the exterior is seen from the square, access to the interiors should be checked.
Our editors' tip
Not everyone liked the restoration: the architect Mario Sandonà called it an «artistic disaster», because it wiped out a piece of local history. In front of the palace, from 1879 to 1886, stood the monument to Antonio Rosmini, later moved to the garden opposite the philosopher's birthplace and replaced by the fountain.
