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Palazzo Colonna

The great noble palace of the Colonna family in Rome, famous for the Galleria Colonna of 1703 and the family's picture collection.

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About the museum

Palazzo Colonna occupies an entire block between Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, Via Ventiquattro Maggio, Via Quattro Novembre and Piazza della Pilotta, in an area where buildings and fortresses of the counts of Tuscolo are documented even before the year 1000; the Colonna family, which descends from them, still owns the palace. Together with the villa on the Quirinal, the complex covers about three hectares and is the largest noble palace in the city. From the 12th century there is news of a Colonna palace and castle. Oddone Colonna, elected pope in 1417 as Martin V, lived here, and in 1527 the palace was spared during the Sack of Rome because Isabella d'Este had taken refuge there.

In 1649 Cardinal Girolamo Colonna launched an ambitious project to renovate and join the various buildings into a single large Baroque complex, carried on for decades by architects such as Antonio Del Grande and Girolamo Fontana. In the first phases the Sala Grande and the Salone Turco were decorated; in the 18th century Nicola Michetti designed the façade on Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, and between 1757 and 1764 the second gallery was built, with the oval room known as the “rustica”. In the second half of the 17th century the palace also had a theatre, where works were given their world premiere.

The most famous wing is the Galleria Colonna, begun in 1654, taken up again by Girolamo Fontana in 1693 and inaugurated in 1703 by the Constable Filippo II, to house the rich picture collection begun by Filippo I, one of the most important in the city.