Palazzo Della Rovere is a palace in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, facing

Via della Conciliazione Via della Conciliazione (Road of the Conciliation) is a street in the Rione of Borgo within Rome, Italy. Roughly in length, it connects Saint Peter's Square to the Castel Sant'Angelo on the western bank of the Tiber River. The road was constru ...

. It is also known as Palazzo dei Penitenzieri.

History

The construction of the palace was started in 1480 by cardinal

Domenico della Rovere Domenico della Rovere (1442 – 23 April 1501) was an Italian cardinal and patron of the arts. Life He was born at Vinovo, near Turin, and was not a relative of Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco Della Rovere), who, however, favoured him in the hope ...

, a relative of Pope Sixtus IV

della Rovere The House of Della Rovere (; literally "of the oak tree") was a noble family of Italy. It had humble origins in Savona, in Liguria, and acquired power and influence through nepotism and ambitious marriages arranged by two Della Rovere popes: F ...

, perhaps under the design of the Florentine architect

Baccio Pontelli Baccio Pontelli (c. 1450 – 1492) was an Italian architect, who designed the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican City. Baccio is an abbreviation of Bartolomeo. Pontelli was born in Florence. Passing the phase of artistic formation with Giuliano and ...

. The palazzo was built between 1480 and 1490 on the south side of

Piazza Scossacavalli Piazza Scossacavalli, also named Piazza di San Clemente, Piazza di Trento, Piazza d'Aragona, Piazza Salviati, was a square in Rome, Italy, important for historical and architectonic reasons. The square was demolished together with the surrounding ...

, destroyed in 1937 together with the ''spina'' di Borgo; Pontelli modelled it closely on the architectural style of Palazzo Venezia, the most important building in 15th century Rome. Five halls of the piano nobile, with important frescoes and ceilings, are now the official reception rooms of the

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

. The current name was added during the reign of pope Alexander VII, who moved here the confessors working in Saint Peter's Basilica, known as ''penitenzieri''. It formerly housed the Hotel Columbus and it is still the headquarters of the

Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

Description

The building has a massive façade, inspired by that of Palazzo Venezia, with a tower on the northeast corner. The name of Domenico della Rovere is written on the windows of the first floor, while the coat of arms on the façade is that of

Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV ( la, Clemens XIV; it, Clemente XIV; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in Sep ...

. The interior has a court on two levels: a lower one with a portico featuring octagonal pillars and a pit, and an upper one with gardens. The palace has a rich internal decoration, the main rooms frescoed with fictive architecture. Part of the external painting, also representing fictive architecture, has survived. The most notable feature is the

Semi-Gods Ceiling The Demi-Gods Ceiling is a painted coffered ceiling by the Italian Renaissance master Pinturicchio, dating to c. 1490 and housed in the last of the suite of reception rooms in the Palazzo dei Penitenzieri in Rome, Italy. It comprises 63 octagonal ...

, a gallery of mythological and allegorical figures painted by

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his sma ...

around 1490.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Della Rovere, Palazzo Buildings and structures completed in 1490 Houses completed in the 15th century Palaces in Rome Renaissance architecture in Rome Rome R. XIV Borgo Order of the Holy Sepulchre