The Palazzo del Carmine, as it stands today, was built in 1738 alongside the renovation of the adjacent church. By the mid-17th century, a convent already occupied the site, likely adapted from earlier structures. It became home to the Lucchesi fathers, invited to Vasto by Marquis Diego d’Avalos to establish a college dedicated to educating young people in grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, and Christian doctrine.
In 1762, the cloister—now the palace’s courtyard—was completed. Over the years, these halls nurtured the intellectual growth of Vasto’s most influential figures, including the renowned poet and scholar Gabriele Rossetti.
The college closed in 1809, and the palace was repurposed as the headquarters of the Gendarmerie. With the Bourbon restoration in Naples, it became a public school before later serving as the seat of the municipal offices and the first home of the Archaeological museum founded by Luigi Marchesani.
Following the Lateran Pacts, the building was entrusted to the Gabriellisti fathers of Monfort, who established a college there before relocating it to the Istituto Immacolata.
Eventually, the Palazzo del Carmine was transferred to the Church and became the seat of the Archdiocesan Curia.
In recent years, thanks to the efforts of local associations, the complex has been reopened for public use, hosting cultural events, film screenings, and guided tours of its fascinating 18th-century cellars.
