Carlo Cottone

Carlo Cottone stands in Piazza Castelnuovo, Palermo, as a public monument to a Sicilian patriot and statesman. The sculpture faces the monument dedicated to Ruggiero Settimo. Together, the two works recall figures associated with the defence of Sicilian rights and nineteenth-century reform. Piazza Castelnuovo was once known as Piano di Sant’Oliva, placing the monument within a changing urban setting.

G.B. Palazzotto designed the monument, while Domenico Costantino created the sculpture. Palermo’s municipal council approved it in 1868, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Sicilian parliament’s convocation. Carlo Cottone gave up his feudal rights, served as Minister of Finance in 1812, and supported agricultural education. His Villa Castelnuovo housed the Istituto Agrario, where young farmers could develop specialist knowledge. His generosity also reached the poor, while his donated body later served anatomy teaching at the University of Palermo. The monument arrived in Piazza Castelnuovo in 1873, offering one striking view of Palermo’s political and civic history.