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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page revised in August 2010.

DON'T LET ME DOWN!

Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia (Book 9) (Map B3) (Day1) (View C7) (Rione Pigna) and (Rione Trevi)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia (or Palazzo Mancini Salviati)
Palazzo d'Aste

The Plate (No. 170)

Accademia di Francia

In this etching Giuseppe Vasi showed old Via Lata, the first section of Via del Corso; the view includes Palazzo d'Aste which is located at the beginning of the street, but not the building which stood opposite it and which significantly narrowed the passage between Via del Corso and Piazza Venezia.
The view is taken from the green dot in the 1748 map below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Palazzo d'Aste; 2) S. Maria in via Lata; 3) Palazzo De Carolis; 4) Convento di S. Marcello; 5) Palazzo Mellini; 6) Strada del Corso. 2), 3), 4) and 5) are shown in other pages. The map shows also 7) Palazzo del'Accademia di Francia. The dotted line in the small map delineates the border between Rione Pigna (lower section) and Rione Trevi (upper section).

Small ViewSmall map

Today

The view today
The view in July 2009

When Piazza Venezia was redesigned at the end of the XIXth century, the building opposite Palazzo d'Aste was in part pulled down in order to improve the access to Via del Corso. The photo shows that the façade of Palazzo Mancini is not completely flat as its central section slightly projects from the two wings of the building.
Palazzo d'Aste retains the covered balcony which granted an excellent viewpoint for watching the arrival of the horse races which took place along Via del Corso at carnival.

The view today
(left) Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia and after it the modern rear façade of Palazzo Odescalchi; (centre) enlargement showing S. Maria in Via Lata and Palazzo De Carolis on the left side of the street and Convento di S. Marcello and Palazzo Mellini on the other side; (right) view towards Piazza Venezia

The buildings along the first section of Via del Corso have not been significantly modified except for the Florentine Renaissance rear façade of Palazzo Odescalchi.

Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia

The Palace
(left) Façade; (right) detail of the windows

The Mancini were a minor Roman family until Michele Lorenzo Mancini married Girolama Mazzarino, sister of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, Prime Minister of King Louis XIV of France. Several members of the family went to live in France and Filippo Giuliano Mancini was made Duke of Nevers; he enlarged the family house in Via del Corso in 1687-89; the new palace was designed by Carlo Rainaldi. The Mancini however preferred to live at Palazzo Rospigliosi which they had inherited from Cardinal Mazarin.

Cornice
Details of the cornice with putti holding a fasces, a heraldic symbol of Cardinal Jules Mazarin and a luce (a pike fish), a heraldic symbol of the Mancini


In 1725 the palace was leased to Accademia di Francia, an institution founded in 1666 by King Louis XIV for the education of French artists; the palace was eventually bought in 1737 and adapted to its new function; its southern corner, which received more light, became the large hall where students exercised in copying plaster casts of ancient statues, including the reliefs of Colonna Traiana.
In 1793 the Academy was closed after riots which followed the killing of Hugon de Bassville, a representative of the French Republic; the Academy was reopened at Villa Medici a few years later.
In 1818 the palace was bought by Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon and former King of Holland; in 1853 it was sold to the Salviati and in 1919 it was bought by a bank.

Palazzo d' Aste

Palazzo d'Aste
(left) Façade; (right) covered balcony from which Letizia Ramorino Bonaparte watched the passers-by

Palazzo d'Aste was designed by Giovanni Antonio de' Rossi and it was built in 1657-77. In 1818 it was bought by Letizia Ramorino Bonaparte, mother of Napoleon, who lived in the apartment on the first floor until her death in 1836. The palace was inherited by Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino.
A recent restoration brought back the original colours of the building (you may wish to see it before the restoration).

Loggia Bonaparte
Detail of the loggia showing the name of the Bonaparte

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Accademia di Francia
Sulla strada del Corso ed incontro al divisato palazzo Panfili si vede il magnifico edifizio eretto da' Duchi di Nivers col disegno del Cav. Rainaldi, in cui il magnanimo Luigi il Grande Re di Francia istituì uno studio, o per dir meglio Accademia, affinchè i suoi sudditi apprendessero bene la pittura, la scultura, e l'architettura; e perchè vi fossero tutti i comodi per disegnare, fece formare in gesso tutte le statue migliori di Roma, e di tutta l'Italia ancora, colle quali furono ornate le stanze del piano nobile. Il primo Direttore di quell'Accademia fu il Cav. Bernini pittore, scultore, ed architetto celebratissimo, colla provvisione di due mila scudi annui; ora però è sempre Francese. Poco più oltre e quasi incontro evvi il
Palazzo d'Asti
Nel fine della strada del Corso, e sulla piazza di Venezia forma il suo nobile prospetto questo palazzo edificato col disegno di Gio. Antonio de' Rossi fuorchè il portone, che fu fatto anni sono senza alcun ornamento.

Next plate in Book 9: Chiesa di S. Spirito in Sassia
Next step in Day 1 itinerary: Palazzo di Venezia
Next step in tour of Rione Pigna: Palazzo di Venezia
Next step in tour of Rione Trevi: Palazzo Bolognetti