Palazzo Badini

Palazzo Badini is a beautiful palace in Pordenone, located in Piazza Cavour, near the northern end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

SHORT HISTORY

The noble Badini family moved from Bergamo to Pordenone at the beginning of the 16th century. After receiving the title of Count in 1710, the family participated in the public and administrative life of the city, holding the office of podestà (chief magistrate) many times.

The palace was built at their behest in the late 17th-early 18th century.

In 1782, the palace was ready to receive the hereditary prince of Russia, Pavel Romanov and his wife Sofia of Württemberg, but the couple preferred to stay overnight in a modest inn, not far away from the palace.

During the 19th century, the building was the seat of the Austrian court, during the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. Subsequently, the palace passed from one owner to another, until it was purchased between 1926 and 1933 by Credito Veneto. Later, the palace was aquired by Banca Cattolica del Veneto, by Banco Ambrosiano Veneto and finally by Banca Popolare FriulAdria.

Following a major renovation carried out between 1971 and 1973, the ground floor was completely changed from its original layout. To make room for the entrance hall, most of the load-bearing walls were demolished and the hall was completed by an attic.

With a further restoration, carried out between 2008 and 2009 by the Municipality of Pordenone, to which the building belongs starting with 2005, the palace was transformed into a suitable structure to accommodate educational services and offices. Today, the palace is the seat of organizations and associations that deal with the promotion and enhancement of tourism and culture within the region.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The layout of the building recalls the Baroque style of the Venetian palaces, still visible today on the facade, in the ashlar corresponding to the ground floor and in the large portal that leads into the entrance hall.

The central part of the second floor houses a large hall, decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments and with pieces of ancient history. The frescoes were painted in tempera within ovals surrounded by cherubs.

In addition to the valuable decorations of the counter-facade, on the first floor there are some rooms embellished with stained-glass ceilings. The most fascinating is the one depicting Minerva, executed in 1790 by Costantino Cedini.

HOW TO GET THERE

Palazzo Badini is located about 450 meters away from the Pordenone railway station. The closest bus stop is in Via Borgo San Antonio, about 100 meters away, on the bus Line R.