Palazzo De Candia stands on the initial stretch of Via dei Genovesi, in the heart of Cagliari, a few dozen meters from the bastion of Saint Remy. It was probably built around the middle of the 19th century, taking advantage of a modest pre-existing building. The area had only become available after the extension of the Castello district southward in the 16th century: previously, the Pisan walls stood here, connecting the Lion Tower (now incorporated into the west side of the Boyl Palace) to the Elephant Tower. The rear facade of the Palazzo De Candia was built over these walls, taking advantage of the jump in ground elevation; the surface layer, of limestone rock, is visible at the base of the facade of the palace. The main facade on Genovesi Street, in neoclassical style, is attributed in some texts to the architect Gaetano Cima. However, in Cima’s always very detailed papers there is no mention of Palazzo De Candia. This detail lends credence to the hypothesis that the project was actually by engineer Carlo De Candia, who had studied and graduated from the Turin Polytechnic in the same years that Cima had also attended it. The building consists of four floors. The entrance hall to the upper floors receives light from a large stained glass window and is ennobled by period furniture and mirrors. The great tenor Mario De Candia had bought and renovated the palace in 1846: from Paris he sent his brother the money for the purchase, along with detailed instructions for drawing up the deed of sale. Over the years he continued to send to Cagliari furnishings, precious objects, and books purchased in half of Europe, for a house in which he would never be able to live. In his “Guide to Cagliari and its environs” (1856), Canon Giovanni Spano speaks of Palazzo De Candia and its furnishings, among the most elegant in the city. Mario’s mother, Donna Caterina Grixoni, widow De Candia, and her children lived in the palace on Via dei Genovesi. In 1968 Palazzo De Candia was bought by Benedetta Imeroni Inserra, who lived there with her family. The halls-open to masks during the traditional parade de sa ratantira-have long been a meeting point during the Cagliari carnival.
