Palazzo San Gervasio is a small agricultural town in northern Basilicata, perched on a promontory at 480 metres with panoramic views extending to the Apulian Murgia. The land around it is wheat, tomatoes, Aglianico vines, peppers, and olive trees.
The town takes its name from the Palazzo — the manor house built by Frederick II of Swabia in the 13th century.
Frederick’s Palace
The Palazzo Marchesale served as a royal stud farm — a Maristalla — breeding stallions and warhorses for the imperial militia and court. Two square turrets, four mullioned windows, and a three-column loggia. After Frederick’s death in 1250, the castle hosted his son Manfredi — the main street is still named after him.
Palazzo San Gervasio sits on the Frederick II castle route between Lagopesole, Melfi, and Venosa — a chain of Swabian fortifications across northern Basilicata.
The D’Errico Collection
In the 19th century, mayor Camillo D’Errico (1861–1896) created the largest private art collection in southern Italy: 298 paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, 500 prints, and 8,000 books. He bequeathed everything to the village.
The collection is now held in Matera at the Palazzo Lanfranchi — and the town is working to reclaim it. It remains one of the most remarkable stories of civic ambition in Basilicata: a small-town mayor who built a world-class collection and gave it to his people.
The Diaspora
Like every town in Basilicata, Palazzo San Gervasio lost much of its population to emigration. The Club Palazzo San Gervasio in Toronto, led by Donato Montesano, maintains the connection between the diaspora and the town.
