Palace sights in Rome
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Domus Aurea
A monumental exercise in vanity, the Domus Aurea (Golden House) was Nero’s great gift to himself. Built after the fire of AD 64 and named after the gold that covered its façade, it was a huge palace complex covering much of the Palatino (Palatine), Oppio (Oppian) and Celio (Caelian) hills. Its grounds, which included an artificial lake, covered up to a third of the city. It’s estimated only around 20% remains of the original complex – Nero’s successors attempted to raze all trace of his megalomania. Vespasian drained the lake and built the Colosseum, Domitian built a palace on the Palatino, and Trajan constructed a baths complex on the Oppio using the Domus Aurea as a fou…
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B
Palazzo Farnese
Palazzo Farnese, one of Rome’s greatest Renaissance palazzi, was started in 1514 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, continued by Michelangelo, who added the cornice and balcony, and finished by Giacomo della Porta. Nowadays, it’s the French Embassy and open only to visitors who’ve booked a place on the biweekly guided tour. Visits (with commentary in Italian or French) take in the garden, courtyard and Galleria dei Carracci, home to a series of superb frescoes by Annibale Carracci, said by some to rival the Sistine Chapel. Booking forms can be downloaded from the website and should be sent one to four months before you want to visit. Photo ID is required for entry. The…
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C
Palazzo della Cancelleria
Once seat of the Papal Chancellery and now home to the Vatican’s highest appeals court, this huge Renaissance palazzo was built for Cardinal Raffaele Riario between 1483 and 1513. It’s generally closed to the public but you can usually nip through to the courtyard to take a peek at Bramante’s glorious double loggia. Next door, and incorporated into the palazzo, is the 4th-century Basilica di San Lorenzo in Damaso, one of Rome’s oldest Christian churches.
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D
Palazzo di Montecitorio
Home to Italy’s Chamber of Deputies, this baroque palazzo was built by Bernini in 1653, expanded by Carlo Fontana in the late 17th century and given an Art Nouveau facelift in 1918. Visits take in the palazzo’s lavish reception rooms and the main chamber where the 635 deputies debate beneath a beautiful Art Nouveau skyline. The obelisk outside was brought from Heliopolis in Egypt by Augustus to celebrate victory over Cleopatra and Mark Antony in 30 BC.
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E
Palazzo del Banco di Santo Spirito
The early-16th-century Palazzo del Banco di Santo Spirito was designed by Antonio Sangallo the Younger and was the mint of Papal Rome. The facade of the building resembles a Roman triumphal arch and the two baroque statues crowning it represent Charity and Thrift.
In 1605 Pope Paul V formed the Banco di Santo Spirito (Holy Spirit Bank) which still exists as part of the Banca di Roma.
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F
Palazzo Madama
Seat of the Italian Senate since 1871, Palazzo Madama was originally the 16th-century town house of Giovanni de’ Medici. It was enlarged in the 17th century, when the baroque façade was added together with the decorative frieze. The name ‘Madama’ is a reference to Margaret of Parma, the illegitimate daughter of Charles V, who lived here from 1559 to 1567.
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