VIDONI PALACE

PALAZZO VIDONI

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 116

Built in1515 as Palazzo Caffarelli for Bernardino Caffarelli

Giorgio Vasari attributed to Lorenzo Lotti aka Lorenzetto (1490/1541) who is said to have followed the advice of Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael) (1483/1520)

Expanded in 1550 and in 1770 by Nicola Giansimoni (active from 1766/d. 1800) for the Stoppani family

At the end of the eighteenth century it was bought by Cardinal Pietro Vidoni. Later it belonged to the Giustiniani Bandini family

The original FAÇADE is on Via del Sudario

It was raised with an EXTRA FLOOR and given a NEW FAÇADE ON CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE II in the years 1886/87 by Francesco Settimj (active 1876/88), who opened a new main entrance in what was once the back of the building

Here took place the historic meeting between Pope Paul III (1534/49) and the German Emperor Charles V key to future relations between empire and papacy

It was the German Embassy and the administrative headquarters of the National Fascist Party. At that time it was renamed PALAZZO DEL LITTORIO

At the end of the Second World War it was the headquarters of the French Army

Now it houses the Ministry for Reforms and Innovation in Public Administration

In the foundations of the palace the “talking” statue Abate Luigi was found. It originally decorated the Curia of Pompey over which the palace was built

ROOM CHARLES V

In the frieze paintings “Stories of Charles V” by the school of Pietro Bonaccorsi aka Perin del Vaga (1501/47)

ROOM OF MIRRORS

Also called the Lady's Cabinet, the lady being the Duchess Giustiniani Bandini. A delightful delirium of Rococo style

Ceiling “Cupid with Doves” by Prospero Piatti (1842/1902)

ROOM OF AUDIENCES

Ceiling “Allegory of painting, sculpture and architecture” maybe by Anton Raphael Mengs (1728/79), more likely by Tommaso Maria Conca (1734/1822) who was a pupil of his uncle, the great Sebastiano Conca

BARBERINI PALACE ON VIA DEI GIUBBONARI

PALAZZO BARBERINI AI GIUBBONARI

Via dei Giubbonari 41

WING FACING VIA DEI GIUBBONARI 1591 by Flaminio Ponzio (1560/1613) for Maffeo Barberini who later became Pope Urban VIII (1623/44) who wanted to enlarge and unite the houses bought in 1581 by his uncle, Monsignor Francesco Barberini constituting the CASA GRANDE BARBERINI

Extension 1623/24 on Via dei Giubbonari by Carlo Maderno (1556/1629) and his colleague Filippo Breccioli (1574/after 1627)

FAÇADE ON PIAZZA DEL MONTE, ATRIUM AND ROOF TERRACE 1638/44 and 1653/58 by Francesco Contini (1599/1669) for Taddeo Barberini

In 1734 Prince Francesco Barberini gave it to the Discalced Carmelites, who transformed the atrium into the Cappella dei Ss. Giovanni Della Croce e Teresa (Chapel of Sts. John of the Cross and Theresa)

In 1759 it was sold to the Monte di Pietà (the central Roman pawnshop), it was extended towards Via dei Pettinari and an arch was built to connect it with the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà

The new atrium and the monumental staircase was designed by Nicola Giansimoni (active since1766/died 1800)

In 1819 twelve granite columns of the chapel were removed and placed in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican Museums

In 1870 it became property of the municipality who restored it

It is now the HIGH SCHOOL VITTORIA COLONNA and the ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRENTO E TRIESTE

“What was notable is that his palace quickly became as an Academy of the most literate people who lived in Rome at the time. There were learned men enjoying virtuous and noble conversations, and also he had his courting of skilled people, not only in the most agreeable and most cultured letters, but in every other discipline and science as well” (Andrea Nicoletti - Life of Pope Urban VIII)