Palazzo Chigi
The initial construction of the palace was carried out by Pietro Aldobrandini who committed the works to Matteo Bartolini from Città di Castello (1580-1586). Authoritative sources show that Giacomo Della Porta and Maderno worked at this project, however the exact amount of their contribution remains uncertain. In 1659 the Building, still unfinished, was sold to Mario and Agostino Chigi, respectively brother and nephew of the Pope Alessandro VII (1655-1667) who committed the completion works to Felice Della Greca followed since 1677 by G.B. Contini. The top storey was added in 1694-96 while the portal on Piazza Colonna, the fountain in the courtyard and the rich indoor decorations date all back to the eighteenth century. In 1917 the palace was taken over by the Italian Government who made it the seat of some of its ministries. In the 1960, after a complete restoration, the palace has become the seat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (1959-61). Looking at it from the outside the building appears as a joint block characterised by austere late sixteenth century lines. On the principal façade, the one on Via del Corso, the windows of the first floor present alternatively curved and triangular tympanums while the side overlooking Piazza Colonna is longer and has a rich portal (1739). Particularly interesting inside are: the courtyard by Della Greca, with the fountain bearing the Chigi-Della Rovere shields of arms (1740), and the great staircase leading up to the first floor where there is the Hall of the Council of Ministers. In the Golden Hall, a neo-classical hall designed by Giovanni Stern (1765-1767), on the ceiling you can admire the Sleeping Endimion by Baciccia.
History of the Palace
Palazzo Chigi is the seat of the Italian Government since 1961. Palazzo Chigi is located in one of the most well-known spots in the historic center of Rome: along Via del Corso, almost halfway between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Venezia.
The entrance of the Palace is on Piazza Colonna and the two thousand year old Column of Marcus Aurelius, which gives its name to the Square, is right in front of the door. The Palace also borders on the right side with the seat of the Chamber of Deputies.
The architectural history of Palazzo Chigi spans more than three centuries, during which various projects and continuous adaptations to the ever-changing needs of the Palazzo have taken place.
What will be the future Palazzo Chigi, at the time of purchase by the Aldobrandini (1578) is a group of huts belonging to various families that are rebuilt after being torn down.
Starting in 1578, the face of Palazzo Chigi began to be built, which follows and accompanies the development of the entire area.
The most important phases of the construction of the building take place in these years even if they continue during the 1600s; while the adaptations of the interior environments change with the owners who alternate throughout the century. The last and definitive modernizations are carried out after the passage of the Palazzo allo Stato (1916), which becomes the first seat of the Ministry of the Colonies and subsequently of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The architectural development of Palazzo Chigi, the alternation of the personalities who live in the building and the uses to which this is destined, reflect the political and historical events experienced in our country in the last two hundred years.
After a couple of centuries in which the building served mainly as the residence of important families from the papal Rome, starting from the end of the eighteenth century, the building sees the presence of the Spanish embassy in Rome more or less stable.
During the 1800s, it became the place of agreements and alliances. Starting in 1878, Palazzo Chigi became the seat of the Austrian-Hungarian ambassador at the Quirinale. It is in this period that the Palace is nicknamed the “Austro-Vatican mass”.
In the early 1900s, despite the presence of the Chigi princes as landlords, the Palazzo is in fact the seat of the Austrian embassy and as such subjected to the frequent irredentist demonstrations for Trento and Trieste.
In 1916 the State buys Palazzo Chigi with the intention of assigning it to the Ministry of the Colonies. In 1922, Mussolini transfers this ministry to the Palazzo della Consulta, in front of the Quirinale, and assigns Palazzo Chigi to the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mussolini, who holds the dual office of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, thus becomes the new tenant of Palazzo Chigi.
Palazzo Chigi remains the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 1961, the year in which the transfer to the Palazzo della Farnesina took place, built specifically for the needs of this ministry.
For the Presidency of the Council – until now hosted in the Palazzo del Viminale – the opportunity has finally come to settle in a more appropriate and prestigious venue.
The Restoration Intervention
Palazzo Chigi, seat of the government, has a new face since November 7th 1999: the restoration of Palazzo Chigi is under everyone’s eyes, facades returned to their ancient splendor, with original colors and great philological care.
Palazzo ChigiThe restoration of the facades has, in fact, restored the ancient painting of the building, recovered from a careful study of prints and period reproductions. Instead of the ocher color, now you can admire a lighter shade, which recalls the cream gray of the travertine of the moldings and overhangs.
Detail of the facade Another novelty concerns the facades of the building: the wooden frames that had been added at the beginning of the century have disappeared. These were non-functional shutters, poorly reduced and in stark contrast to the vintage images of the prospectus. The restoration work also involved the travertines and stuccos that decorate the building.
Glazed ceramic medallion depicting the Madonna with childThe work of the restorers, who brought to light numerous pictorial decorations, also rediscovered the glazed ceramic medallion depicting the Madonna with child, which can be admired at the corner of Piazza Colonna and Via dell ‘ Impresa.
The restoration also involved the Aldobrandini Deti apartment, which includes the office of the Prime Minister and the Deti gallery, a reception room for illustrious guests.
Both rooms had undergone restoration work in the 1960s, which had upset them by covering the stuccos with a dark gray uniform.
There was no shortage of surprises in the cleaning. In fact, only pure gold did not emerge, but also an interesting and anomalous coloratura: pure cinnabar red in one area, ultramarine blue, a modern color that was born in the nineteenth century, in another.
Contact and Location
Address: Piazza Colonna 370
Web site: http://www.palazzochigi.it/
