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Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
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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 July 2009.

To the Italian visitors of my web site

Piazza S. Marco (Book 2) (Map B3) (Day 1) (View C7) (Rione Pigna)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view
Palazzo Venezia
Palazzo Pamphilj
Palazzo Grazioli

The Plate (No. 39)

Piazza S. Marco

Piazza S. Marco was also called Piazza di Venezia, as St. Mark and Venice were almost synonyms in the past, the former being the patron saint of the latter. Today it is known as Piazza Venezia. The view is towards Piazza del Gesù and it shows Palazzo Pamphilj (southern side) and Palazzo Altieri. Other views of Piazza S. Marco are in Book 4 (Palazzo di S. Marco) and in Book 9 (Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia).
The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1748 map here below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Palazzo di S. Marco (with a reference to its being the residence of the Venetian ambassadors); 2) Palazzo Altieri; 3) Palazzo Pamphilj; 4) Palazzo d'Aste. 2) and 4) are covered in other pages. The small map shows also 5) Palazzo Grazioli.

Small ViewSmall Map

Today

The view today
View in July 2009

This side of Piazza Venezia looks unchanged, but it is the only part of the square which was not modified to make room for Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II and for the opening of Via dei Fori Imperiali.
The upper storey of Palazzo Venezia was modified by rearranging its windows in a symmetrical way.

Palazzo Venezia

The view today
(left) Northern side; (right) entrance on this side

The construction of Palazzo Venezia was started by Cardinal Pietro Barbo, nephew of Pope Eugenius IV after 1451 when he became the titular of Basilica di S. Marco; both the cardinal and his uncle were Venetians.
The palace was enlarged after Cardinal Pietro Barbo became Pope Paul II in 1464; the northern side of the building was completed by Cardinal Marco Barbo, a cousin of the pope, so the windows and the entrance on this side show his coat of arms rather than that of the pope. He had the titles of Patriarch of Aquileia, an ancient town in northern Italy, and of Cardinal of St. Mark (the basilica).

The Window and the Lion
(left) Window built by Cardinal Marco Barbo; (right-above) coats of arms of Ambassador Antonio Grimani (left) and of the Republic of Venice and the cardinals of St. Mark; (right-below) a modern statue by Urbano Nono portraying St. Mark's lion

In 1564 Pope Pius IV presented part of the palace to the Republic of Venice as a residence for its ambassadors. Cohabitation between the ambassadors and the cardinals of St. Mark was not without frictions; in 1814 the whole palace was acquired by the Austrian Empire, which had annexed the Republic of Venice; it became the residence of the Austrian ambassadors until WWI, when it was confiscated. It now houses Museo di Palazzo Venezia and temporary exhibitions.
You may wish to see other lions of St. Mark in the Venetian Fortresses in Greece.

Palazzo Pamphilj

Palazzo Panfilio
Façade


The southern side of Palazzo Doria Pamphilj was completed in 1743 by Paolo Amelj and it is one of the last additions to Baroque Rome. The palace has two other (more imposing) façades: one next to S. Maria in Via Lata and another one opposite Collegio Romano. The Doria Pamphilj did not live on this side of the palace which was structured as flats for rent and this explains why the façade is so crowded with windows and why there are not as many flying doves and fleurs-de-lys as on the other façades.

Palazzo Panfilio - details
(left/centre) details of the building; (right) a madonnella

Palazzo Grazioli

Palazzo Grazioli
(left) Façade and the statue on the rear of the palace; (right) the lone flag

This palace was designed by Camillo Arcucci in 1650 for the Gottifredi family. It was acquired in the XIXth century by the Grazioli who made major modifications to its interior and its rear façade. The building was usually known as Palazzo della Gatta (cat) because of a small statue of a cat on its rear façade. The statue was found in a nearby Temple of Isis and most likely it represented a monkey.
A few years ago the palace was rented by Mr. Silvio Berlusconi, Presidente del Consiglio (Prime Minister) of the Italian Republic between 2001 and 2006 and again after 2008. Since then newspapers and television stations have carefully avoided using the traditional name of the palace. Mr. Berlusconi prefers to live here, rather than in the modest apartment for the Prime Minister inside Palazzo Chigi. Sometimes political meetings are held in this palace; the Italian flag on the balcony is not an indication that the palace houses an institution of the Italian Republic, because public buildings (by law) display also the flag of the European Union.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:


Palazzo Panfili
L'anno 1743. fu edificata questa gran parte del palazzo Panfili col disegno di Paolo Amelj dal penultimo Principe di questa antichissima famiglia Romana, ora estinta, il quale per la sola vastità di appartamenti forma un gran palazzo per uso di varj Signori. Siegue dopo di questo, quello de' Sig. Gottifredo con nobilissima archittettura del Cav. Rainaldi.

Next plate in Book 2: Piazza di Spagna
Next step in Day 1 itinerary Palazzo Altieri
Next step in tour of Rione Pigna: Palazzo d'Aste