Palazzo del Monte di Pietà


Built between 1679 and 1682 by Antonio Rusca, to a project by Domenico Valmagini, architect of Ranuccio II Farnese, this is an important example of Farnese architecture from the Baroque period. The façade is characterized by large arcades on the ground floor, provided with benches in carved marble, in whose lunettes were two frescoes by Angelo Massarotti of The Deposition From The Cross and The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew (1682), detached and stored inside, and now replaced by two graffiti. The stuccoed first floor features ornate, elegant frames that surround the windows with alternating arched and triangular gables. The Monte di Pietà was founded by the Franciscans and the Pallavicino family in 1537 and performed charitable deeds and acts of welfare, as well as being involved in the donation of scholarships, the running of the School of Music and the management of the rich library. Giuseppe Verdi himself attended the school, and later made use of a grant from it that enabled him to study in Milan with Maestro Vincenzo Lavigna between 1832 and 1836. In 1960, the Monte di Pietà was merged with the Cassa di Risparmio di Parma bank, while since 2000 the Palazzo and its library have been the property of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Parma and Monte di Credito su Pegno of Busseto which generously continues to observe its original purposes.



Info

Via Roma – Busseto (PR)