Ancona Courthouse
Judiciary building in Ancona, Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ancona Courthouse (Italian: Palazzo di Giustizia di Ancona, lit. 'Palace of Justice of Ancona') is a judicial complex located on Corso Giuseppe Mazzini in Ancona, Italy.
| Ancona Courthouse | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the Ancona Courthouse area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Courthouse |
| Location | Ancona, Marche, Italy |
| Coordinates | 43°37′05.6″N 13°30′53.7″E |
| Construction started | 1883 |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Renovated | 1982–1989 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Alessandro Benedetti (1878–84) Guido Canella, Fernando Clemente, Alberto Sandroni (1975–89) |
| Structural engineer | Andrea Castiglioni, Giuseppe Grandori (1975–89) |
History
The early Ancona courthouse was built in Renaissance Revival style between 1878 and 1884, based on a design by engineer Alessandro Benedetti.[1] It was intended to house the offices of the magistrate, the court, and the provincial archive. The interior halls were decorated with frescoes by the artist Luigi Samoggia.[2]
The structure followed the typical Renaissance palace layout with a central courtyard. Its facades features three tiers of windows, with the central ones adorned by a pediment, string courses, and a stone cornice. The main façade is accessed through a monumental doorway flanked by Corinthian columns.[1]
Heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1972, the building was completely renovated in the 1980s. Originally slated for demolition to be replaced with a more suitable structure for the new needs, it was saved thanks to the proposals of architects Guido Canella, Fernando Clemente, and Alberto Sandroni.[1] They suggested preserving the external shell as a testament to the city's 19th-century expansion.[3]
The intervention only preserved the external perimeter walls and the monumental entrance on Corso Mazzini. Inside, all load-bearing horizontal and vertical structures were demolished and rebuilt to create five above-ground floors. The previous courtyard was enclosed with a skylight.[1][4]