The palace is one of the urban elements that best illustrates the city transition from a medieval and religious structure to the modern form of the Renaissance and late-18th-century city. The palace assumed its current form at the end of the 18th century: in 1783, by decree of Duke Francesco III d’Este, it was decided to demolish the monastery of San Pietro Martire and build a new Palazzo di Governo for the city. The project was entrusted to architect Pietro Armani. By 1786, the building was substantially complete and soon after began its institutional function. Subsequently, in 1814, the city offered it to Duke Francesco IV of Habsburg-Este as his residence in Reggio. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the building was used as public offices (Prefecture, Province) and underwent various external and internal renovations, eventually incorporating pre-existing structures such as the Oratory of Santa Liberata

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In 1911, work was carried out that modified the interior and exterior layout, including the incorporation of the Oratory of Santa Liberata into the main body of the palace. The facade, the rhythm of the windows, and the regularity of the decorative elements reflect the style and proportion of public buildings in the late 18th century, when neoclassical taste was also taking hold in ducal residences

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Inside the Palace, the state apartment features four allegorical scenes: Venus and Cupid, Music, Spring, and Psyche, created by Domenico Marchelli (1763-1832). Other rooms retain Carnevali’s decorations.

These spaces are not simply rooms: they are stages for the ducal representation, intended for ceremonies, audiences, and meetings with the city and administrators. The pictorial, allegorical, and mythological decorations emphasize the symbolic function of power: beauty serves to confer authority and communicate an ideal of enlightened governance.

Interiorly, the spatial distribution favors a succession of rooms with passages leading from the state staircase to the halls, connected to the offices and command rooms. The three internal courtyards also act as a filter between the external city spaces and the centrality of the residence

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The palace was purchased in 1885 by Baron Raimondo Franchetti, a member of one of the most influential families of the 19th-century Italian Jewish bourgeoisie. After his death, the building passed to his nephews Raimondo and Guido, sons of Alberto Franchetti. In 1921, the palace was sold to the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, which divided up the surrounding park and converted the building into a school, now home to the “A. Manzoni” Lower Secondary School.

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Guido Tirelli created the Grand Hall in an eclectic style, with stucco, molding, and paintings in Art Nouveau style by the artist Giuseppe Tirelli.

In 1925, the new owner, Eugenio Terrachini, called Guido Tirelli back to complete the project that had been interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War.

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Among the collections were hunting trophies, ethnographic objects, weapons, clothing and musical instruments from regions such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Java, Borneo, Celebes and New Guinea. In 1911, returning from an adventurous journey, he donated a significant part of these finds to the Chierici Museum in Reggio Emilia. Many of these objects are currently preserved at the Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia, particularly in the ethnography and zoology sections.

Many of these objects are currently preserved at the Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia, particularly in the ethnography and zoology sections.

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