In 1837, a severe cholera outbreak in Catania caused a short rebellion by the populace, who protested in front of this palace, home of the then Catanian governor, the prince of Manganelli. They demanded the appointment of a new sanitary commission. In 1860, the Garibaldini, during their successful conquest of the Neapolitan kingdom, sacked the palace, destroying or looting the contents. In 1873, the level of via Sangiuliano was lowered, requiring further reconstruction, including the addition of the third floor. In the 1870s, the piano nobile was decorated with frescoes by Giuseppe Sciuti and Ernesto Bellandi, working on commission from Princess Angela Paternò di Manganelli Torresi.