The Spada Gallery is housed in the Palace of the same name, once the property of Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro (1502-1559), who, around 1548, began to have it built on the site of preexisting buildings belonging to his family, by Bartolomeo Baronino (1551-1554) di casale Monferrato. 

After the death of Cardinal Capodiferro the palace passed to the Mignanelli family and was then bought in 1632 by Cardinal Bernardino Spada (1594-1661) for 3200 scudos. From the moment the Cardinal took up residence, he decided not only to set up the basis of an art collection, but also decided on a series of modifications employing various painters, sculptors and architects.