The building dates back to the Middle Ages when in 967 the Emperor Nicefon II Foca ordered the reconstruction of the town of Taranto after it was almost totally destroyed by an Arab expeditionary force in 927.

            The Saracens sacked and destroyed the town. They transformed the ancient temples and the Grecian buildings located in the acropolis, survived to the Roman conquest of Taranto during the war from 272 to 282.

            The reconstruction of the city used the basis and blocks of the ancient temples together with the many architectural units and carparo stones taken out from limestone elements.

            The ancient caves in the building basement were transformed into the “fogge” – from the Latin word fovea –granaries where cereals were kept. Cereals were essential for the survival of the community during the siege of the fortified town of Taranto.

            Three different levels were found under the building as well as wells of brackish water and cisterns of soft rainwater channelled from the roof to meet the needs of the whole family. You can still admire the beautiful middle age rainwater pipes collecting rainwater from the balconies to the underground cisterns. You can look at the big elements of the Grecian temples used for the reconstruction of the building.

            Part of the medieval masonry are on view on the ground floor together with the sequence of arches and vaults of various period that were reworked several times in the past.

            The construction of the building started around the XI cent. and in the late XVIII century the notary Francesco Antonio Mannarini ordered to modify and to enlarge it in a considerable way. About the XVII century his descendants – they were notaries, too – wanted to remake the facade: they made it more attractive with new motifs, they added the third floor.

             The building has a sober facade with XIX cent. orders. The balconies,  the stone cornices, the wooden main door and the wonderful window  with the inner wood doors…everything dates back to the XIX century   

            You can still read the initials of the notary Domenico Mannarini everywhere on the locks, on the main door.

            The XVIII century majolica floors were found and reused. They were decorated with wonderful colours and you can see them in some of the rooms on the first floor.

            The XIV and XV cent. ceramic tiles make the floors and the walls in the hall and the reception more precious. So many majolica curved elements were found that were parts of the ancient terrace railings.

            The restoration work aimed at the preservation and the development of all the architectural elements and ancient fittings that witness the events of the past times, during 2700 years!!!

            The facade, the three hypogeum floors, the balcony, the cornice, the main door, the portal, the colour liberty floor made of cement of  ‘900, the stone terrace units that were used as clotheshorse and the preparation of the feed and to the dried preserves …nothing was touched during the restoration of the building.

Mr De Bellis Giuseppe, architect and engineer, planned and supervised the restoration work of the building.