Description
Palazzo Borghese is one of Rome's great palaces, between Via di Ripetta and Piazza Borghese, in the Campo Marzio. Romans call it the Borghese "harpsichord," because seen from above it has the shape of a harpsichord. Today it is a private building, but its courtyard deserves a peek.
Construction began in 1561 to a design by Vignola, and it passed from hand to hand until in 1586 the Spanish cardinal Pedro de Deza Manuel bought it. Most of the work was done from 1590 to 1613, under Cardinal Camillo Borghese, the future Pope Paul V.
The "keyboard" is the short side facing the Tiber, a small two-story facade with two balconies. It was considered one of the four wonders of Rome, along with the Farnese "die," the Caetani staircase and the Carboniani doorway.
The finest part is the courtyard, with a double-order portico supported by a hundred granite columns. At the far end is the Bath of Venus, a nymphaeum with statues, climbing plants and fountains. The courtyard is the work of Martino Longhi the Elder.
On the main facade is a portal with two Doric columns holding up a balcony, and above it the great family coat of arms. A second portal, similar to the first but without the coat of arms, opens on the side of the square.
For almost three centuries the palace held a treasure. The Borghese family filled twelve rooms with masterpieces: works by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and Correggio. In 1891 the collection moved to Villa Borghese, where it forms the Galleria Borghese.
Other architects, such as Flaminio Ponzio, Carlo Maderno and Carlo Rainaldi, added their own parts, and after 1670 the palace received its last enlargements. The long side, with the portal and the great coat of arms, is the one you see when passing along Via di Ripetta and Piazza Borghese.
Today the west wing houses the Spanish embassy, and since 1922 the piano nobile has been the seat of the Circolo della Caccia.
Construction began in 1561 to a design by Vignola, and it passed from hand to hand until in 1586 the Spanish cardinal Pedro de Deza Manuel bought it. Most of the work was done from 1590 to 1613, under Cardinal Camillo Borghese, the future Pope Paul V.
The "keyboard" is the short side facing the Tiber, a small two-story facade with two balconies. It was considered one of the four wonders of Rome, along with the Farnese "die," the Caetani staircase and the Carboniani doorway.
The finest part is the courtyard, with a double-order portico supported by a hundred granite columns. At the far end is the Bath of Venus, a nymphaeum with statues, climbing plants and fountains. The courtyard is the work of Martino Longhi the Elder.
On the main facade is a portal with two Doric columns holding up a balcony, and above it the great family coat of arms. A second portal, similar to the first but without the coat of arms, opens on the side of the square.
For almost three centuries the palace held a treasure. The Borghese family filled twelve rooms with masterpieces: works by Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian and Correggio. In 1891 the collection moved to Villa Borghese, where it forms the Galleria Borghese.
Other architects, such as Flaminio Ponzio, Carlo Maderno and Carlo Rainaldi, added their own parts, and after 1670 the palace received its last enlargements. The long side, with the portal and the great coat of arms, is the one you see when passing along Via di Ripetta and Piazza Borghese.
Today the west wing houses the Spanish embassy, and since 1922 the piano nobile has been the seat of the Circolo della Caccia.