Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Palazzo Colonna and admire the family's collection of artworks. I was astonished both by the richness of the state rooms open to the public-- works by Carravaggio, Bronzino, etc. --and by the unmistakable signs that this palace was a well-beloved home to a family. At one point I looked out of the window of a magnificent 18th c. room into a courtyard littered with children's toys, tricycles and a jungle gym. I thought that was wonderful, that such magnificence could also be warm and comfortable to a family.
The scale of the palazzo is enormous. I had already passed it several times during my stay and assumed it was a government office building. I was amazed to find out that the Colonnas have had a dwelling on that land since the 13th century!
Top two images: details - Allegory of the Victory of Marcantonio II Colonna at Lepanto by Sebastiano Ricci.
Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Palazzo Colonna and
ReplyDeleteadmire the family's collection of artworks. I was astonished both by the richness of the state rooms open to the public-- works by Carravaggio,
Bronzino, etc. --and by the unmistakable signs that this palace was a
well-beloved home to a family. At one point I looked out of the window
of a magnificent 18th c. room into a courtyard littered with children's
toys, tricycles and a jungle gym. I thought that was wonderful, that
such magnificence could also be warm and comfortable to a family.
The scale of the palazzo is enormous. I had already passed it several
times during my stay and assumed it was a government office building.
I was amazed to find out that the Colonnas have had a dwelling on
that land since the 13th century!