1650/55 masterpiece by Giovanni Antonio De Rossi (1616/95) with Mattia
De Rossi (1637/95) for Cardinal G.B. Altieri
With the election of
Emilio Altieri as Pope Clement X (1670/76) widening and completion by De Rossi
with the purchase of adjacent houses, except that of a lady known as “Mrs.
Bertha” who refused to sell her house to the pope and ended up having it
surrounded and incorporated in the palace
Renewed later by Alessandro Speroni, Clemente
Orlandi (1694/1775) and, in the years 1787/94, by Giuseppe Barberi (1746/1809) for the Paluzzi Albertoni
family
“The rooms were
architecturally and decoratively executed from projects and under the direction
of Barberi, who tempered the eighteenth century style with a wonderful
pre-neoclassical taste. For exquisite elegance, proportions, color harmony and
refinement we do not know in Rome any example of a higher quality of interior
architecture in the second half of the eighteenth century. The work (...) gives
the idea of the balance, great inventive and artistic capability of Barberi,
who, succeeded as architect of the Altieri to Clemente Orlandi, began work as
early as February 1787, directing operations for seven years” (Andrea Busiri
Vici - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani Treccani)
It is currently a
building occupied in part by the Italian Banking Association ABI, and by other
two banks FINNAT and Banca Popolare di Novara, in part by private owners
including descendents of the Altieri, whose direct line became extinct in 1955
Here lived the writer
Carlo Levi
The actress Anna
Magnani lived in the attic for 20 years and died there in 1974
STAIRCASE
Statue of “Barbarian
prisoner” found at the Theatre of Pompey
ANTECHAMBER OF THE
HALL
In the vault
spectacular “Apotheosis
of Romulus” 1676
by Domenico Maria Canuti (1626/84) in a
quadrature by Enrico Haffner (1640/1702)
HALL OF THE HEARINGS
OR OF THE CLEMENCY
In the vault “Triumph of Mercy” or sacred and Christian Rome accompanied by
Peace and Virtue crowned by Honour during the reign of Clement X 1674/77 by Carlo Maratta (1625/1713)
“Maratta wished to
restore the autonomous nature of the painted surface: once more the painting is
framed in a clear and simple way. He also wanted to restore the autonomy of the
individual figure. He returned to the classic principle of composing with a few
figures and with an evenly lit palette that invites you to focus attention on
the figure designed plastically, on its attitude and gestures. He almost
abandons upside down perspectives, but, characteristic fact, he doesn't
rediscover either the austere classicism of the set out framework of early
Baroque. Moreover, his figures are themselves more baroque and less Raphael-like
than he liked to believe. Maratta had gone quite forward towards the
reconciliation of two opposing tendencies, the baroque and classical. He
followed a nice middle ground” (Rudolf Wittkower)
APARTMENTS
Vaults and lunettes
painted by Salvator Rosa (1615/73), Felice Giani (1758/1823), Cristoforo
Unterberger (1732/98) and Francesco Cozza
(1605/82)
ROOM OF THE MOSAIC
Cabinet in the
apartment of Prince Paluzzo Altieri
In the vault painting “Apotheosis
of Romulus” by Stefano Tofanelli (1752/1812)
Above the doors “Scene
of the Rape of the Sabines” of four important painters of the second half of
1700s: Giuseppe Cades (1750/99), Francesco Manno (1752/1831), Anton
von Maron (1733/1808) and Antonio Cavallucci
(1752/95)
On the floor “Mosaic
of Mars and Rhea Silvia” found in Ostia Antica in 1783
HALL OF MIRRORS
In the vault “Chariot
of the Sun” 1675 by Fabrizio Chiari (about
1615/95) and paintings by Giuseppe Cades and Salvator Rosa
“Landscapes” 1794/95 by Giuseppe Barberi (1746/1809) and Francesco Di Capua
LIBRARY
Now it is the Altieri
family archive
“Bust of Pope Clement X” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) with spectacular
curtain stucco supported by angels in flight by Giacomo
Filippo Schor son of Giovanni Paolo Schor
No comments:
Post a Comment