A cannonball. Imagine a cannonball lodged in the facade. That’s just one of the intriguing details that makes Palazzo Acerbi so captivating. We are standing before Palazzo Acerbi a 17th-century palace. Palazzo Acerbi stands as a testament to Milan’s rich history. The Baroque-style palace is located on Corso di Porta Romana. It is historically part of the sestiere di Porta Romana.
Palazzo Acerbi is named after Ludovico Acerbi. He was a Milanese senator. Acerbi bought the building from the Rossi di San Secondo family. The palace’s fame stems not only from its architecture but also from its owner Marquis Acerbi.
During Milan’s plague years the Marquis Acerbi threw lavish parties. He rode around the city in a carriage. Dozens of servants in green livery accompanied him. Milan’s population was halved by the plague. Yet none of Acerbi’s guests fell ill. This led people to believe the marquis was the devil. Ironically Marquis Ludovico Acerbi had already died years before the epidemic.
Compared to the Baroque style of the time Palazzo Acerbi presents a regular austere structure. Curved balconies adorn the first-floor windows. Simple rectilinear frames decorate them. Lion heads embellish the otherwise bare portal. The interior tells a different story. Marquis Acerbi challenged the Annoni family. They owned the palazzo across the street. The challenge was to see who could own the most sumptuous palace.
Look closely at the facade. To the right of the first right-hand balcony on the first floor you can see the cannonball. It dates back to the Five Days of Milan. A small plaque marks it. Palazzo Acerbi is also known as the “Casa del Diavolo” the House of the Devil. The legend intertwines with history here. Some Milanese believe the number 3 Corso di Porta Romana is the devil’s address.
In 1577 Pietro Maria Rossi conte di San Secondo first owned Palazzo Acerbi. In the early 1600s the wealthy Marquis Ludovico Acerbi from Ferrara bought it. He renovated it in the Lombard Baroque style. Acerbi quickly became unpopular in the city. He flaunted his wealth during a time of crisis. His neighbors the Annoni family competed with him. They began a contest to make their palace more extravagant. The expenses seemed unjustified to the people. They thought something supernatural was at play.
During the plague described by Manzoni in “I promessi sposi,” Acerbi lived here. The plague caused many deaths in Milan. However the residents of Palazzo Acerbi celebrated. They were unconcerned with parties and carriage rides. People said Acerbi made those near him immune to the disease.
Strained people passed Palazzo Acerbi. They heard music and shouts. They saw Acerbi leave in a carriage drawn by six black horses. Sixteen clean-shaven footmen in green and gold livery pompously escorted him. Black and green were considered the devil’s colors. People also saw him appear at the sixth window on the first floor.
After the plague people realized only the residents of Palazzo Acerbi remained immune. Chronicles filled with dark fantasies and terror led to the rumor that Satan lived in the palace. An anonymous chronicler said no one dared speak his name. However the devil could not protect Acerbi from Napoleon. Napoleon took away his title. Acerbi spent his last days in his native Ferrara. His descendants still live there today.
Palazzo Acerbi survived the Manzoni plague. It withstood an Austrian cannonball in 1848 and escaped the bombings of World War II. The cannonball remains embedded in the facade. History and legend are intertwined here.
If you observe Palazzo Acerbi’s austerity you might notice a demonic face above the main door. So Palazzo Acerbi is not only a stunning example of Baroque architecture but also a place where history mixes with legend. It is a house with secrets that still whisper today.