Description

This 'palazzo' was built in 1738 for Marquis Nicola Moscati. It was first named 'dello Spagnolo' at the beginning of the nineteenth century when it became the property of Tommaso Atienza, a nobleman from Madrid. The building was almost certainly designed by Ferdinando Sanfelice, although his name is not mentioned in certain documents. The name of the little known engineer, Francesco Attanasio, appears rather more often. It is probable that this engineer carried out one of Sanfelice's earlier projects. When the Borbons arrived in 1734, Sanfelice was excluded from any further building work because of the links he had with the previous Austrian government, however the stairs and many other aspects in the building reflect Sanfelice's style very closely. The buildings plans include two courtyards, separated by a beautiful open stairway with double rampants and five arches. This is certainly an example of Sanfelice's creative genius which had major effect on the designs of Neapolitan stairways. The buildings facade is defined by its orthogonal meshwork created by stringcourse and pilaster strips framing each balcony. The framework builds a fantastic repertoire of curved lines, in pinnacles, enlivened by leaf decoration.