The Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne is a Renaissance palace in Rome, Italy.

History

The palace was designed by

Baldassarre Peruzzi Baldassare Tommaso Peruzzi (7 March 1481 – 6 January 1536) was an Italian architect and painter, born in a small town near Siena (in Ancaiano, ''frazione'' of Sovicille) and died in Rome. He worked for many years with Bramante, Raphael, and la ...

in 1532–1536 on a site of three contiguous palaces owned by the old Roman Massimo family and built after

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

destroyed the earlier structures during the Sack of Rome (1527). In addition the curved facade was dictated by foundations built upon the stands for the stadium (odeon) of the emperor Domitian. It fronts the now-busy Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, a few hundred yards from the front of the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle.

Entrance

The entrance is characterized by a central portico with six

Doric columns The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of ...

, paired and single. Inside there are two courtyards, of which the first one has a portico with Doric columns as a basement for a rich loggia, which is also made of Doric columns. The column decorations gave the name to the palace, ''alle Colonne''. The facade is renowned as one of the most masterful of its time, combining both elegance with stern rustication. The recessed entrance portico differs from typical

palazzo A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

models such as exemplified by the Florentine

Palazzo Medici The Palazzo Medici, also called the Palazzo Medici Riccardi after the later family that acquired and expanded it, is a Renaissance palace located in Florence, Italy. It is the seat of the Metropolitan City of Florence and a museum. Overview T ...

. In addition, there is a variation of size of windows for different levels, and the decorative frames of the windows of the third floor. Unlike the Palazzo Medici, there is no academic adherence to superimposition of orders, depending on the floor. On the opposite facade of this palace, opening onto the Piazzetta de' Massimi, the palace connects with the frescoed facade of the conjoined annex, the Palazzetto Massimo (or Palazzetto Istoriato). For many centuries, this used to be the central post office of Rome, a Massimo family perquisite. To the left of the palace is the Palazzo di Pirro, built by a pupil of Antonio da Sangallo.

Interior

The interior ceilings and vestibules are elaborately ornamented with rosettes and

coffer A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also ...

ed roofs. The entrance ceiling is decorated with a fresco by

Daniele da Volterra Daniele Ricciarelli (; 15094 April 1566), better known as Daniele da Volterra (, ), was a Mannerist Italian painter and sculptor. He is best remembered for his association with the late Michelangelo. Several of Daniele's most important works ...

, who represented scenes from the ''Life of Fabio Massimo'', the supposed Roman founder of the Massimo family.

Chapel

The chapel on the second floor was a room where the 14-year-old Paolo Massimo, son of Fabrizio Massimo, was recalled briefly to life by Saint Philip Neri on March 16, 1583. The interior of the palace is open to the public annually only on that day. Other notable events in the palace of the 16th century including various intrafamilial murders.

External links

photo
— The palace is on the gentle curve of Corso Vittorio Emanuele, to the left and across the street of Santa Andrea della Valle.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palazzo Massimo Alle Colonne Houses completed in 1536 Massimo alle colonne Renaissance architecture in Rome Massimo alle colonne 1536 establishments in the Papal States