Palazzo dell’Università

Built in 1761, the Palazzo dell’Università di Martina Franca stands in Piazza Plebiscito, on the left side of the church, next to the Torre Civica built in 1734.\n\nThe name of the structure comes from the term Università, which in southern Italy referred to the seat of the municipality or local parliament and was universal because it aimed to gather the concerns of all social classes.\n\nThis form of administration dates back to the Aragonese organization that gave Martina Franca its statutes in 1478. However, the class of landowners emerged, who enriched themselves and gradually assumed the government of the city.\n\nIn 1872, the elevation of the palace allowed for the housing of a small prison and the registry offices.