Tuesday, March 7, 2017

PALACE OF SPAIN

PALAZZO DI SPAGNA
Formerly known as Palazzo Monaldeschi and rented to the Spanish ambassadors
From 1647 is the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See
It was transformed in 1647/55 by Antonio Del Grande (about 1625/79). Maybe he used drawings by Francesco Borromini (1599/1667) to whom a project had been requested in the first place
Borromini couldn’t follow up his project because he was busy doing other works
It was renovated in 1815 by the Spaniard Antonio Celles (1775/1835) who rebuilt the façade
The palace has given its name to the square (Piazza di Spagna) and even to the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, Spanish Steps in the English translation, although it would have been more correct to call it French Steps because the staircase was commissioned and paid for by the king of France, Louis XV who so had the square connected to the French church of Trinità dei Monti
ENTRANCE STAIRCASE
Fresco “The keys of Granada” 1898 by A. Ballester
CHAPEL
Vault “Gods of Olympus” by Marco Benefial (1684/1764)
IN THE ROOMS
Extraordinary sculptures “Damned Soul” and “Blessed Soul” 1620 works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680)
Paintings by Pier Leone Ghezzi (1674/1755), Felice Giani (1758/1823), Liborio Coccetti (1739/1816), Vicente Lopez (1772/1850) and Mario Nuzzi aka Mario de' Fiori (1603/73)

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