Rome has as many reasons to visit as there are visitors, whether they come to marvel at ruins of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, experience the vibrant lifestyle and la dolce vita of Italy’s capital city, or admire the myriad of art treasures that the city’s museums hold. But something overlooked by many visitors are the actual buildings in which those masterpieces are displayed. These palazzos in Rome (aptly named since they are truly luxurious palaces that were often private homes of wealthy families) are attractions within themselves.
On a recent visit to explore some of the lesser-known museums and off the beaten path attractions in the Eternal City, Henk and I discovered that many of these palazzi have hidden treasures of their own, whether it’s a peaceful courtyard in the bustling heart of the city or a spectacular frescoed ceiling by a Renaissance Master. Getting to explore these amazing buildings also gave us a peek into the lifestyles of the rich and famous of 16th, 17th and 19th century Roman society.
Check out these 7 beautiful palazzos in Rome and what to see inside each – because who doesn’t love to do a little snooping in other people’s houses?
1. Villa Farnesina
Built between 1505 and 1511, Villa Farnesina is one of the most beautiful examples of Renaissance palazzos in Rome that has survived until today. Yet Henk and I stumbled upon it quite by accident: we were heading to visit another museum, the Galleria Corsini, on the same street, when we saw a sign at the entrance to the Villa Farnesina with an image of a frescoed ceiling and the name Raphael. There’s only one ‘Raphael’ that merits this kind of headline in art history circles, and that is the Renaissance’s golden boy, Raphael Sanzio, whose masterpiece, the School of Athens fresco decorates the Papal apartments in the Vatican. But he is also known for countless portraits of Madonnas including one, the Sistine Madonna, that includes a pair of very recognizable cherubs. Having grabbed our attention with Raphael’s name, Henk and I of course, had to visit this Villa.
WHAT TO SEE:
The front facade of Villa Farnesina is beautiful, with an impressive glassed-in vaulted loggia facing beautiful gardens. It is in this glassed-in space that we found one of the ‘Raphael’ ceiling frescoes that had lured us in off the street. This ceiling design brought the outside gardens in, by creating the illusion of a garden pergola overhead with flowery garlands draped between beautifully-painted scenes on the vaulted ceiling.
The imagery depicts mythological subjects, including the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche, and the Council of the Gods, but it’s important to note that although Raphael designed and laid out the ceiling and made all the cartoons (the life-sized outlines and sketches used for the final frescoes), the painting was actually done by his workshop assistants, talented painters like Giovanni da Udine, who painted the elaborate festoons.
The principal bedroom of the palazzo’s owner, Agostino Chigi, also has a huge fresco that was originally conceived by Raphael, the wedding of Alexander the Great and his bride Roxana, although this too, was painted by another artist, Giovanni Antonio Bazzi.
One of the reasons for this contribution by other artists was the fact that Raphael was very much in demand, not just by other art patrons, but by his Roman mistress, a baker’s daughter named Margarita Luti. To keep Raphael focused on his own palazzo’s decoration, Agostino Chigi actually arranged to have Luti move into his palace, just to keep Raphael working there.
To see a fresco that was actually painted by Raphael, visit the Loggia of Galatea, and admire the nymph Galatea after whom the room is named.
Apart from the Raphael works, some of the rooms in Villa Farnesina are absolutely spectacular, including the Hall of the Perspective Views with its tromp l’oeil columns and artwork suggest a loggia that continues into the outside of the palace.
Between the beautiful coloured stone used on the floors, the elaborately worked ceilings and all the painted decor in these rooms, Villa Farnesina turned out to be a true hidden gem and one of the most beautiful palazzos in Rome that we have seen.
2. Palazzo Corsini
After our unexpected visit to Villa Farnesina, Henk and I returned to our original plan and continued to Palazzo Corsini, a late baroque villa built for the Corsini family from Florence between 1730 and 1740. Today the building is home to the Galleria Corsini, the only collection of paintings dating from the 1700s that remains intact and on display the way they were exhibited during that period. This is because when the palace was sold to the Italian government in 1883, owner Prince Tommaso Corsini donated the entire collection of artworks contained within it.
That original collection was assembled by two people: Pope Clemente XII (Lorenzo Corsini who obviously made it big in the Vatican!); and his nephew, Cardinal Neri Maria, an art connoisseur with a great eye for artists from the 16th and 17th century, including Caravaggio and Rubens.
WHAT TO SEE:
Be sure to look up and admire the ceiling frescoes in Galleria Corsini’s rooms and hallways as you are looking at the paintings; these ceiling are works of art.
One room in particular features two vaulted ceilings separated by supporting columns, and the amount of detail and colourful embellishments on these two ceilings is amazing.
And don’t overlook the doors in the hallways, either, like this one where each panel is painted with landscapes and scenes with ancient Roman ruins. Inside Palazzo Corsini, even its closed doors are inviting.
3. Palazzo Barberini
This museum is actually a sister gallery to Galleria Corsini, although it is located in a completely different part of Rome near Piazza Barberini. This gallery holds the works of art that were acquired after 1883 by the Galleria Corsini, plus many other additional pieces including works by Raphael, and an intriguing painting by Caravaggio depicting St. Francis in Meditation…interestingly, it seems TWO virtually identical versions of this canvas exist and both ‘owners’ insist they are originals. The first one to be attributed to Caravaggio is found in the church of Santa Maria della Concezione of the Capuchin monks (where there is also a fascinating albeit a bit creepy bone crypt).
A second, near identical canvas was ‘discovered’ as recently as 1968 in the church of San Pietro in Carpineto Romano, outside of Rome, and is now on display here in Palazzo Barberini’s museum. It was while this canvas was being restored in 2000 by the museum, that two of the restorers using radiography techniques declared this Barberini canvas was more likely the original, based on traces of malachite powder found in the painting. This element is a Caravaggio trademark and helped put the painting’s age at about a year or so before the artist died.
Still, based on provenance of its own, many cling to the view that the painting in the Capuchin church is Caravaggio’s first version, perhaps because it hung there for years before the Carpineto discovery, or perhaps because some people just prefer its warmer colours.
What surprised us is that this is not the only instance where we see duplicate Caravaggios in more than one palazzo in Rome, both of which are considered originals…but more on that later.
WHAT TO SEE:
Palazzo Barberini dates from 1633 and originally belonged to the Sforza family before being bought by the Barberinis whose descendants lived there until 1949. This baroque palazzo has 2 beautiful interior staircases, one that is rectilinear (designed by sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini) and another spiral staircase (by Francesco Borromini), both of which are elegant in proportions and style.
One of the most spectacular ceiling frescoes in all of the palazzos in Rome is found here as well, the Triumph of Divine Providence by artist Pietro da Cortona. A frescoed ceiling this massive requires a room to match, and this one is conveniently outfitted with sling chairs so visitors can recline to admire the painting, which took Cortona seven years to complete from 1632 – 1639.
Don’t miss Palazzo Barberini’s beautiful gardens outside, accessed via a ramp opposite the main entrance, (just head for the statue in an arched alcove on the opposite building) and go right.
These gardens have been restored to their original design, and are always free to visit, without having to purchase admission to the Museum.
4. Palazzo Venezia
It’s hard to imagine that just steps inside this centrally located fortress-like building in the heart of Rome’s busiest intersection lies a tranquil garden filled with palm trees, fountains and statuary. This little island of sanity in an otherwise crazy location was once utilized as a parking area for the employees in the building, but since 2016 it has been returned to what it was originally designed to be: a beautiful green space in the courtyard of Palazzo Venezia.
This little oasis of peace and quiet alone is a reason to visit, but there are also a few reasons why you may want to pay the entrance fee to go inside the palazzo as well.
WHAT TO SEE:
Although originally a modest medieval house, Palazzo Venezia underwent many changes over its 600-year history, when it served as residences for various Popes and cardinals. The rooms themselves in Palazzo Venezia really are the stars here, due mostly to their extraordinary size. We are talking monster-sized grand reception halls and spaces, with ceilings that are 35-40 feet above your head.
These rooms are also home to massive chandeliers, frescoed columns, stone inlaid floors, elaborate friezes and beautiful wooden ceilings.
Even without furniture, these rooms are impressive. It’s no wonder that Mussolini chose to use Palazzo Venezia as his private residence and seat of government when he was the ruler of Italy: only these rooms would do for a man with his ego. He even used the balcony off the The Sala del Mappamondo (the map of the world room) to deliver speeches to large crowds that would assemble in Piazza Venezia.
Access to the second floor rooms of the Palazzo also gives you the chance to view the Vittorio Emanuele II monument from a very different angle than most visitors to the city get to see, framed in the arches of an upper floor portico.
5. The Casino Nobile in Villa Torlonia
In addition to taking over wings of Palazzo Venezia for use as his private apartment and for hosting governmental functions and guests, Mussolini also had a residence just north of the historical centre in Villa Torlonia. This residence includes a group of buildings and a park, which Mussolini used privately as his family’s estate and where he also hosted famous guests, include his ally, Adolph Hitler. The buildings include a gracious palazzo, the Casino Nobile, built between 1802 and 1806 that served as Mussolini’s home, and a number of other buildings, including the quirky but charming Casina delle Civette, which is an oddity and worth visiting as well.
WHAT TO SEE:
The Casino Nobile has a few standout features: one being the elaborate mosaic floors with Etruscan figures that run through many rooms in the building, and reflect the 19th century fascination with all things classical. Alexander’s Room in particular is filled with marble statues of Apollo and the nine muses of Greek mythology.
The second feature that impressed us was the luxurious ballroom with crystal chandeliers, a beautifully decorated vaulted ceiling and columned spaces on either side that were used to accommodate the musicians. You can just imagine the balls that were hosted here when the original owner, Prince Alessandro Torlonia, feted his equally wealthy 19th century peers.
6. Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj
No, it’s not a typo: Pamphilj is one of the correct spellings of this name, but there is often a lot of confusion with this particular building in downtown Rome, and a large park south of Trastevere that goes by the name Villa Pamphili. This is because in English, we associate the word ‘villa‘ with a building, while in Italian, ‘villa‘ actually means ‘park’, and “palazzo‘ means building. Of course, when a park also has a building within it, it can get even more confusing: ie. Villa Pamphili the Park also has its own Palazzo Pamphili within it which served as the Pamphilj family’s country residence until the 18th century. ) Are you still with me?
The palazzo I am going to talk about here is Palazzo Doria-Pamphilj on Via del Corso in downtown Rome, which functions as both a public art gallery and private apartments that are still used today by the descendants of the family. The Doria-Pamphilj family goes back generations but really came to prominence in the 17th century, when one of its members became Pope Innocent X who occupied the papal see from 1644-1655. It was during this time that the family acquired the beautiful palazzo on Via del Corso that had been built for the Della Rovere family a hundred years or so earlier. It was in this building that Pope Innocent X established his private art collection, one that was passed down through generations, and today that collection is considered one of the most valuable private collections in the world.
WHAT TO SEE:
Galleria Doria-Pamphilj, the art gallery portion of this sumptuous Baroque palace, has 4 radiating ‘wings’, every wall and hallway of which is covered in artwork, mirrors, or embellishments of some kind, either in the form of luxe tapestries and wallpapers, or gilt fixtures.
In order to get the most out of a visit here, definitely get the audio guide which is actually narrated by Prince Jonathan Doria-Pamphilj himself, a first-hand account from a family member who has a very personal connection to each of the rooms in the palace and who has some interesting stories to tell about his family’s history.
The most spectacular hallway is the Hall of Mirrors, designed in 1730 by Gabriele Valvassori and modelled after the larger one at the Palace at Versailles in France. All along the length of this room are gilt Venetian mirrors alternating with classical antique statues, above which is a beautiful frescoed ceiling depicting the Labours of Hercules by Aureliano Milani. This opulent room makes this building one of the most unique palazzos in Rome, and is reason alone to visit.
Of course the art masterpieces here are numerous and impressive, too, including the Velasquez portait of Pope Innocent X, considered one of the greatest portraits of the 16th century because of the humanistic, intense expression the artist portrayed on the Pope’s face.
The Throne Room is another notable space, located in the private apartments on the floor above, the Piano Nobile. It is a relatively empty room but features a velvet chair where the Pope would sit to receive visitors when he was in residence. However, when he was not present, the chair would be placed with its back to the room, which is how visitors will find it today.
Two Truths and a Lie?
It was while seeking out the Caravaggio paintings on the main floor that Henk and I discovered a surprise: ANOTHER instance of duplicate ‘original’ canvases supposedly both painted by Caravaggio! This time, the subject was a young San Giovanni (St. John the Baptist) with a ram, a painting that looked identical to one we saw in the Capitoline Museum. The Doria-Pamphilj Caravaggio is considered to be authentic by many, or at the very least demonstrates the artist’s hand in its execution. Then again, many believe it might just be a very, very good copy. And speaking of copies, we saw yet a THIRD version of this painting also hung here in the Doria-Pamphilj hallways, but this one is known to be a reproduction. There’s something about Caravaggio and copies…perhaps imitation is the greatest form of flattery after all.
7. Galleria Borghese
Okay, so this is not a ‘lesser-known’ museum by any stretch, as it holds one of Rome’s most renowned art collections. Galleria Borghese in Villa Borghese (the park) is home to some of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s most famous and stunning marble sculptures, plus numerous priceless masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, Carreggio and other Renaissance masters.
It’s understandable that visitors are so enthralled with the works of art found here, that the rooms in which they are displayed are often overlooked. But have a look above and around these masterpieces, and you’ll see that like so many of these other palazzos in Rome, the building is a work of art in itself.
WHAT TO SEE:
Take the room with the Rape of Proserpine by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The sculpture is of course magnificent, but look at the room in which it is placed!
In another, smaller room, above the statue of Apollo and Daphne (Bernini again), some of the tromp l’oeil architectural details on the ceiling look like they are carved, too, but they are completely flat, painted frescoes. These artists were masters of deception, right down to the cast shadows by the faux 3-D figures.
The mosaic floor with gladiators and hunters in another room is actually the star attraction in this space, and not just the supporting player. That’s because this is an actual Roman mosaic dating from between the third and fourth centuries A.D. and was installed in Galleria Borghese after being discovered in the ruins of an ancient house on the Borghese estate at Torrenova, where it had been part of a private home of a wealthy Roman citizen.
The room in which is it placed is no slouch, either, but the floor here really has people looking down first, then up.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
A peek inside these beautiful palazzos in Rome does more than just reward the visitor with stunning art and examples of a variety of architectural styles; it gives modern day visitors a chance to become time travellers and wander through the rooms that some of the biggest names in Rome’s past called home – names like Sforza, Barberini, Pamphilj, and even Mussolini. Walking these halls is following in the footsteps of some of the richest and most famous residents of this city, from art-collecting Popes and social climbers of the 17th century, to egomaniacal fascists of the twentieth. If only these walls could talk, we can only imagine the political intrigues, gossip and soirées they could describe.
For now, visitors will have to be content admiring the masterpieces on those walls, which themselves speak volumes about the wealth and prestige of the owners. (And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a Caravaggio – they’re everywhere!)
Jane Canapini is a member of the Travel Media Association of Canada and the North American Travel Journalists Association. She established GrownupTravels.com in 2014 to share information and tips based on personal experience so her readers could get the most out of their travels.
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