Palazzo Spada

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  • Address
    near Campo De' Fiori, Via Capo di Ferro 13, Centro Storico
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  • Phone
    06 683 24 09
  • Website
  • Transport
    bus: Largo di Torre Argentina
tram: Largo di Torre Argentina

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Lonely Planet review

Built in 1540, the Mannerist Palazzo Spada was restored by Borromini a century later and is worth the rather steep ticket price for his famous perspective. What appears to be a 25m-long corridor lined with columns and leading to a hedge and life-sized statue is in fact only 10m long. The sculpture, a later addition, is actually hip-height and the columns seem to diminish in size not because of distance but because they actually get smaller.

On close inspection, the hedge is also a deception - Borromini didn't trust the gardeners to clip a real hedge precisely enough so he made one of stone.

Upstairs, the four-room Galleria Spada houses the Spada family art collection, with works by Andrea del Sarto, Guido Reni, Guercino and Titian. Highlights include Schiavo di Ripa Grande (Slave of Ripa Grande) by Reni and a daring, seductive Santa Lucia (St Lucy) by Francesco Furini.