City Library
The palace, which faces Tola Square, was rebuilt in 1577 on behalf of Don Jayme Manca on earlier late Gothic structures. It represents for Vico Mossa the highest expression of 16th-century Sassarese civil architecture. Palazzo d’Usini has undergone numerous modifications over the centuries, which, in addition to the addition of the third floor dating back to the 18th century, also affected the side openings to the large portal.
The façade features the portal with lintels that include the dedicatory inscription and the series of windows, of the same style although different in size, characterized by ashlar and diamond-pointed exposures. On the lintel is an engraving showing the year of construction, while on either side of the portal can be seen the two coats of arms of the noble Manca family, a shield on which an armed arm stands out. Past the portal is the broken-vaulted hallway onto which the round arches open. The palace was acquired by the Municipal Administration in 1861 and became the seat of the Municipal House of the Piedmontese government in the city from 1879 to 1900. It later housed the prefecture, a school and municipal offices. It is currently home to the City Library.
