The Palace of the Marquis of Santa Croce and Trigona di Sant’Elia was built on the pre-existing site of a sixteenth-seventeenth century palace, assuming its current configuration after 1756 following the decision of Giovanbattista Celestri and Grimaldi of Santa Croce to expand it towards the ” Strada Nuova”, today’s Via Maqueda. Recent studies argue that the architect Nicolò Anito, previously credited as a possible creator of the Building, may not have been its real creator but only a prosecutor. In 1759 Giovanbattista Cascione assumed the direction of the construction site; under his guidance, the property would become one of the most impressive buildings in Palermo. Subject to repeated changes of destination (it was the seat of the Senate), it was damaged by the violent earthquake of 1823. In 1829 the Senate was succeeded by the Royal Institute for the encouragement of agriculture, arts and manufacturing; it then became the seat of the Railway Administration, and in the 1950s, of the “G. Verga” middle school, to be, finally, exposed to looting. In 1984 the Provincial Administration bought it from the Lima brothers. The long restoration works have allowed to give new life to a treasure kept hidden for decades. In February 2013 it was granted for use to the Foundation, which made it available to the general public.