COLONNA PALACE (first part)

PALAZZO COLONNA

Piazza dei Santi Apostoli 66

About 1420/25 for Martin V Colonna (1417/31) the first pope to return permanently to Rome after the exile in Avignon

The palace was the papal seat from 1420 until 1431

It was built over a preexisting castle of the counts Tuscolani dating back to before the year 1000, in turn built on the ruins of the TEMPLE OF SERAPIS, the largest temple in Rome with the Temple of Venus and Rome

Expanded with the GALLERIA COLONNA from about 1650 by Antonio Del Grande (about 1625/79) and then after 1671 by Girolamo Fontana (1668/1701) (nephew of Carlo Fontana)

Partly rebuilt in 1730 by Nicola Michetti (about 1675/1758) who designed the FAÇADES ON PIAZZA Ss. APOSTOLI and PIAZZA IV NOVEMBRE and by Paolo Posi (1708/76) who designed the BACK OF THE PALACE with the BRIDGES that join it with Villa Colonna

Changes to the façade on Via IV Novembre 1879 by Andrea Busiri Vici (1818/1911)

It has belonged to the Colonna family for twenty-three generations

FORMER COFFEE-HAUS

Small Wax Museum with, on the second floor, ROOM WITH OCTAGONAL VAULT and fresco “Fable of Cupid and Psyche” by Antonio Mancini (1852/1930)

VATICAN MUSEUMS - MUSEUMS OF THE APOSTOLIC VATICAN LIBRARY (second part)

Room of the Papyri
 

Built for Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769/74) in order to accommodate the “Papyri of Ravenna” dating from the sixth to the ninth century AD from various sources, of which however copies are exhibited

On the ceiling “Allegory of History” 1774 Anton Raphael Mengs (1728/79) ornamental decorations and frames Cristoforo Unterberger (1732/98)

“Bust of Alexander VII Chigi (1655/67)”

Models of the “Truth Unveiled by Time” and “Two Charities” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) for the Monument of Pope Urban VIII in the Basilica of St. Peter

The model of Charity with four putti was executed for the first version of the monument in about 1627/28, the one with two putti for the second version of the years 1634/39

Models of the “Prophet Habakkuk” and “Daniel in the lions' den” also by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the Chigi Chapel in S. Maria del Popolo

Model of “St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus” by Alessandro Algardi (1598/1654) for a group of silver made in 1644 on the occasion of the election of Innocent X Pamphilj (1644/55)

The terracotta models kept in this room belonged to Cardinal Flavio Chigi, nephew of Alexander VII

They passed in 1918 to the Italian state and in 1923 they were donated by Benito Mussolini to Pius XI Ratti (1922/39) as an act of reconciliation between Italy and the Holy See

 

 

Sacred Museum

Designed by Paolo Posi (1708/76) for Benedict XIV Lambertini (1740/58) in order to accommodate early Christian relics

At the sides of the entrance statues: on the right “Lysias” and on the left “Aelius Aristides”

On the ceiling “Triumph of the Church” and “Triumph of Faith” 1757 by the Roman Stefano Pozzi (1699/1768)

Above the precious cabinets in walnut finished with gilded bronze are placed “Twenty-four bronze busts of cardinals librarians” made in 1783 by Luigi Valadier (1726/85)

Precious Christian and non-Christian ancient pieces:

Glass objects from the fourth century AD some from Ostia, amulets, Roman rings, oil lamps in terracotta, Byzantine seals and weights

“Silver plate” with hunting scenes of the fifth century AD

“Reliquary of Algeria” of the sixth century AD

Early Christian and Coptic textiles including “Sheets of the seven Greek martyrs” eighth or ninth century

“Mosaic with St. Theodore” about 1200 icon for traveling similar to those of the monasteries of Mount Athos

“Chest for the Head of St. Sebastian” ninth century, formerly in the church Ss. Quattro Coronati

“Acquamanile” in oriental style used, according to legend, by St. Lawrence to give baptism