Gnecco Palace Explained

Gnecco Palace, also known as Garibaldi palace and Casa de la liberté, is an old palace in the Medina of Tunis.[1]

Localization

The palace is located in the Commission Street, in the old French neighbourhood.[2]

History

It was built between 1786 and 1866 by Paolo Antonio Gnecco, a rich olive oil and seeds trader.[2]

According to the plaque at the entrance, Giuseppe Garibaldi stayed in the palace during his stay in Tunisia in 1834.[2]

During the 19th century, Giulio Finzi, an Italian lithographer from Livorno, established workshops with lithographic printing machines.[3]

The Franco-Tunisian painter Pierre Boucherle was born in Gnecco Palace on 11 April 1894.[4]

Architecture

Unlike the other palaces of the Medina, this one has the architecture of an Italian palazzo; It has a big portal with columns and an Italian facade with framed windows and pediments.[2]

It has also a courtyard that creates a lighting system for the surrounding rooms.[2]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Festival de la Médina : Tunis raconte ses rues.
  2. Charles Bilas, Tunis, l'orient de la modernité, Paris, Éditions de l'Éclat, 2010, 319 p., p. 102-103
  3. Feriel Ben Mahmoud et Michèle Brun, Tunisie : un siècle d'images (1857-1956), Paris, Éditions Place des Victoires, 2012, 255 p., p. 59
  4. France Boucherle, Boucherle : aux origines de l'école de Tunis, Tunis, Cérès, 1997, 150 p., p. 13