City of “power” par excellence, Rome saw the birth and still presents the noblest examples of civilian architecture built to host political and religious institutions, the power of which has resided inside the Eternal City, since time immemorial. The term “palazzo” itself, as we know, derives from Palatino, the one hill in Rome for centuries seat of the imperial power, the pre-eminent site of power. The peculiar circumstance of the presence in Rome of the Papal Government – true non-hereditary absolute monarchy – made it a must for almost every great family of popes – Medici, Chigi, Barberini and Pamphilj, just to mention a few – to have a “worthy” residence built for them as they needed a palace adequate to their rank to carry out the role entrusted to them by History. It is for this reason that Rome, a unique city also in this respect, still swarms with noble palaces, often true royal residences. Obviously, since the end of the nineteenth century with the unification of Italy, the Italian government used this extraordinary wealth of prestigious buildings to make them the most important seats of its political power. Hence such palaces, generally built to celebrate the prestige and importance of a great noble family have come to host today the institutions of the Republican State. Solemn witness of the major political events in the course of centuries, they have been recently opened, with some obvious restrictions, to visitors, unveiling treasures which with all decorations, precious furniture and architectural structures create a magic, historical atmosphere.
