Palazzo Lucatelli

About

Palazzo Lucatelli (formerly the Ospedale di Sant’Antonio) is a historic building in central Trapani, Sicily. Founded in 1455 as one of the city’s main hospitals, it remained in medical use until 1968, when services were transferred to the new Sant'Antonio Abate Hospital in Erice. After decades of neglect and several unrealised redevelopment proposals, it is currently undergoing restoration for cultural reuse.

Before a dedicated hospital existed, the city sheltered sick poor, sailors and pilgrims in dwellings near the Church of San Pietro; these evolved into a rudimentary hospital through civic and private donations. In 1399 King Martin of Aragon incorporated the institution into the Grande Ospedale di Sant’Antonio under the Order of Sant’Antonio of Vienne, governed by three Rettori appointed annually by the senate.

In 1455 nobles Giacomo Blindano Fardella, Stanislao Clavica and Girolamo Staiti Tipa founded a new hospital on the site of today’s Piazza Lucatelli. The complex originally comprised two courtyards linked by a portico, a church dedicated to Sant’Antonio and a large indigent ward.

Administration passed in 1569 to the Compagnia di Sant’Antonio Abate, whose members offered care and burials for the poor, and in 1589 to the Benfratelli (Order of San Giovanni di Dio). Their dismissal for mismanagement in 1597 returned control to the confraternity and civic authorities.

A major renovation in 1628, funded by a 3000- onze bequest from Captain Lazzaro Lucatelli (or Locadello), produced the present façade and the niche containing his bust. Interior works continued during the 18th century, with contributions attributed to Giovanni Biagio Amico. Through the 18th and 19th centuries the hospital was regarded as a leading medical facility in western Sicily.

The building closed in 1968 following the transfer of services to Casa Santa at the foot of Monte Erice.

In the early 2000s the municipality commissioned a project to convert Palazzo Lucatelli into a 900-seat theatre, but in 2006 the regional Soprintendenza denied authorisation due to demolition incompatible with the building’s protected status.

A new proposal in 2019 by the Comune di Trapani and the Ente Luglio Musicale Trapanese, supported by €2 million from Ales S.p.A., envisaged a multifunctional cultural centre with a 200–260 seat auditorium, library, exhibition areas (including for silverwork linked to the Misteri ), a Piranesi room and administrative offices, along with plans for a future art-themed hotel. A public tender for restoration and reuse followed in 2021.

Restoration began in February 2023 to address severe structural decay, including collapses and roofless sections, but works were halted due to asbestos, unforeseen structural issues and additional heritage requirements. Activity resumed in July 2024 after project revisions, raising the total cost to over €3 million. As of early 2025 restoration remains ongoing, with plans for the site to function as a public cultural hub housing an auditorium, library, exhibition areas and offices for the Luglio Musicale Trapanese.