BRASCHI PALACE - MUSEUM OF ROME (ninth part)

The Torlonia family

ROOMS 7 AND 8

Works that used to decorate the now destroyed Palazzo Torlonia on Piazza Venezia

Five large charcoal drawings of mythological subjects: “Titanomachy”, “The Rape of Proserpina”, “The Toilette of Venus”, “Judgment of Paris” and “Rape of Europa” about 1837

“Alessandro Torlonia taken to the Temple of Glory” about 1886 all works by Francesco Podesti (1800/95)

Mural painting “Triumph of Hercules” about 1839 by Francesco Coghetti (1801/75)

Mural painting “Trionfo di Venere” about 1836/37 maybe by Pietro Gagliardi (1809/90)

“Antonio Canova shows Giovanni and Anna Maria Torlonia the sketch of Hercules and Lica” about 1811 maybe by Antonio Canova himself

ROOM 9

Twelve lunettes from the destroyed Apollo Theater with “The Months” 1839 by Filippo Bigioli (1798/1898)

Charcoal Drawing preparatory to the fresco of the Villa Torlonia Carolina at Castel Gandolfo “Apollo and the Hours” about 1844 by Pietro Gagliardi (1809/90)

ROOM 10 or ALCOVE ROOM

Incomplete reconstruction of the reception hall that preceded the alcove itself destroyed in the Palazzo Torlonia in Piazza Venezia with paintings “Judgment of Paris” and “Loves of the Gods” 1837 by Filippo Bigioli and stuccos such as “Medallions with stories of Psyche” by Pietro Galli (1804/77), a pupil of Bertel Thorvaldsen

“Plaster portrait of Anna Maria Torlonia” by Adamo Tadolini (1788/1868)

BARBERINI PALACE (first part)

PALAZZO BARBERINI

Via Quattro Fontane 13

Built by incorporating the existing villa of Cardinal Rodolfo Pio da Carpi, later property of the Sforza family and known as Villa Sforza

Cardinal Francesco Barberini bought it from the Sforza family in 1625 and Carlo Maderno (1556/1629) began the construction of the palace in the years 1625/29 by

After the death of Carlo Maderno, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598/1680) took over the direction of the work in the years 1629/1633 and retained the original design conceiving, however, the central hall, the windowed loggia and the large square staircase

Francesco Borromini (1599/1667) participated in the works designing two windows in the central part of the top floor, the side wings, some decorative elements and the SPIRAL STAIRCASE

The actual Borromini's contribution to the works led by Bernini, however, is still the subject of academic debate

“The derivation from the windows in the attic of Maderno's façade of St. Peter's is obvious, but the ears-shaped wavy streamers attached to them, as well as the segmented upper part with ends pointing outward with an angle of 45 degrees are characteristic of Borromini's dynamic interpretation of details. Here it is already possible to see the creative force that imparts an inexplicable strength to any shape and configuration” (Rudolf Wittkower)

RAILING 1864 Francesco Azzurri (1831/1901) with TELAMONS by Adamo Tadolini (1788/1868)

The FOUNTAIN in front of the palace is by Francesco Azzurri

In the area of the building the ancient TEMPLE OF QUIRINUS was situated

At the end of the rear ramp “Ruined Bridge” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and “Bertel Thorvaldsen Monument” (1770/1844) who had his study on the top floor of the former theater from 1822 to 1834

Top floor home of the ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI NUMISMATICA (Italian Institute of Coins)

Villa Savorgnan de Brazzà

1936 Gustavo Giovannoni (1873/1947) and Marcello Piacentini (1881/1960)

Under the villa ruins of rooms of the second century AD in bricks including MITHRAEUM with fresco (the only one painted in Rome together with the one of S. Prisca) with “Mithra slaying the bull” and smaller panels on the sides with scenes of the god's myth

At n°18 in Via Barberini former BARBERINI THEATREThe original theater built in 1634 with a façade by Pietro Da Cortona was destroyed and rebuilt in 1932 by Marcello Piacentini using some original architectural elements