Roman palaces
This catalogue of Roman palaces, based on photos from 2004, historic views and later literature studies, is the counterpart of the larger collection Palaces of Venice. Unlike the latter ones with their multi-light loggias and tripartite facade scheme, the palaces of Rome are closed cubes and normally organized around a central courtyard. The Palazzo della Cancelleria, a huge block entirely fitted with a flat bossage, was influenced by the Palazzo Rucellai in Florence. Few later buildings, like the Palazzo Castellesi Giraud Torlonia, show citations of the Cancelleria's details. With Bramante's unfortunately destroyed Palazzo Caprini on the one side, and Antonio da Sangallo's Palazzo Farnese on the other side, the Renaissance profane architecture developed two different models: while the Palazzo Caprini and its succesor buildings like Palazzo Caffarelli Vidoni are based on the contrast of a heavily bossed ground floor with so-called botteghe (stores) and a single piano nobile upper floor outlined by semicolumns or pilasters, the Palazzo Farnese has "kneeling" ground-floor windows, a second, high upper floor, and a bossage limited to the corners and the portal zone. Raphael's Palazzo Branconio is lost, too, and his scholar Giulio Romano soon developed his own formal vocabulary, particularly by his new manieristic use of bossage, which can still be admired at his Palazzo Stati Maccarani di Brazzà, Palazzo Alberini Cicciaporci Senni or the ground floor of Palazzo Salviati. The late Renaissance palaces, like the Lateran palace, are in most cases based on the model of Palazzo Farnese
Among Michelangelo's and Sangallo's successors at the end of the 16th century, Giacomo della Porta, who built at least nine palaces such as Palazzo Albertoni Spinola, Palazzo Maffei Marescotti, Palazzo Serlupi Crescenzi and most probably Palazzo Chigi, was the most successful.
The apartments of Roman palaces are used for living as well as representation and consist, since the remodeling of Palazzo Farnese, at least of five rooms. As the apartment is ususally located in the piano nobile, the stairway leading from the courtyard to the upper floor is of high importance. A visitor first reaches the so-called Sala dei Palafrenieri
, mostly the largest room of the palace (one of the most interesting ones can be found in Palazzo Lancellotti), then the first anteroom with a chapel, the second anteroom, the audience room and finally the bedroom. The room where the guest is received by the host is dependent on the guest's social status. Normally, the palazzi have separate apartments for the owner and his wife, but often the large Sala
is shared, like at Palazzo Barberini or Bernini's Palazzo Ludovisi Montecitorio .
Other buildings
Palazzo Gambirasi
Palazzo Mattei di Giove
Palazzo Medici Clarelli
Palazzo Medici Lante
Palazzo Sacchetti
