Palazzo Berio

Palazzo Berio, originally known as Palazzo Vaaz, is a historic 16th-century mansion in the San Ferdinando district of Naples. It stands on Via Toledo, directly across from the Galleria Umberto I. The building was constructed to designs by Giulio Romano, a pupil of Raphael, for the Count of Mola. In the second half of the 18th century, Carlo Vanvitelli carried out a renovation. The palace is named after the opera librettist Francesco Berio di Salsa, who owned the property in the 19th century. In its heyday, the palazzo was famous above all for its important library and a rich art collection that included works by Antonio Canova. In the courtyard, a fountain is adorned with a stag's head. The building originally housed a large banquet hall and a theater, on whose foundations the Teatro Augusteo was later built. After the death of the last marquis, the house was divided up. Although many frescoes were lost to later renovations and subdivisions, including works by renowned artists such as Giacinto Diano, a surviving fresco was recently rediscovered in a salon on the first floor.