The Praetorian Palace, or Palazzo delle Aquile, stands in the historic center of Palermo between Via Maqueda, Piazza Pretoria and Piazza Bellini. The magistrate Pietro Speciale was the main advocate of its construction. Giacomo Benfante guided the work from 1463 to 1478, and Mariano Smiriglio worked on it from 1615 to 1617.
Giuseppe Damiani Almeyda's renovation of 1873 to 1875 gave it its current Renaissance Revival and Neoclassical look. For centuries people believed it dated from the 14th century, but documents published in 1875 showed its origin in 1463.
It has nine balconies on the main floor, a marble eagle in high relief and a statue of Saint Rosalia. It now houses the municipal government of Palermo, including the mayor.
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