Palazzo Mattei di Giove
Roman Palaces
Description
The palace was built by Carlo Maderno for Asdrubale Mattei, duke of Giove, between 1598 and 1618. While the road facades, based on the traditional sixteenth-century scheme, lack any sophisticated decoration, the courtyard rear facade with its triaxial loggia is not only noteworthy for the two piano nobile capitals and various reliefs, but especially for the rich collection of sculptures. The interior of the palace was painted by Francesco Albani, Antonio Pomarancio, Prospero Orsi, Giovanni Lanfranco and Pietro da Cortona. In the 18th century, the Mattei died out and the palace passed to the Antici di Recanati. In 1938, the Italian State acquired the palazzo, which today is used a the Centro Italiano di Studi Americani (Italian Centre for American Studies).
Literature
Cappelletti, Francesca : La committenza di Asdrubale Mattei e la creazione della Galleria nel Palazzo Mattei di Giove a Roma, in: Storia dell'arte 76.1992, pp. 256-295
