Palazzo Donn'Anna
Cosimo Fanzago · Naples, Italy · 1642
Palazzo Donn’Anna is one of Naples’ most dramatic coastal palaces, rising directly from the Posillipo shoreline. Designed by Cosimo Fanzago and left incomplete, the building’s unfinished condition is central to its architectural identity. Its massive arches, voids, terraces, and exposed relationship to the sea create a powerful image between ruin, residence, and theater. Unlike many palaces that turn inward toward courtyards, Donn’Anna is defined by its outward exposure to the bay and its scenographic presence from the water. The building remains largely private, but its urban and visual importance is enormous, making it an essential exterior-view architectural landmark in Naples.