Palazzo Odescalchi

Palazzo Odescalchi (Book 4) (Map B3) (Day 3) (View C7) (Rione Trevi)

In this page:
The plate by Giuseppe Vasi
Today's view (including Chiesa di S. Romualdo)
Palazzo Odescalchi
Palazzo Spinelli

The Plate (No. 64)

Palazzo Odescalchi was originally a possession of the Colonna family, sold to Pope Alexander VII Chigi in 1661. The Chigi sold the palace in 1748 to the Odescalchi. It is also called Palazzo Bracciano, because the Odescalchi have a large castle in the town of Bracciano. The view is taken from the green dot in the small 1745 map here below. In the description below the plate Vasi made reference to: 1) Palazzo Colonna; 2) Palazzo Bonelli - Spinelli; 3) Colonna Traiana; 4) S. Maria di Loreto; 5) Palazzo Ruffi. 1), 3) and 4) are shown in other pages. The small map shows also 6) Palazzo Odescalchi.

Today

The view today

The palaces to the left of Palazzo Odescalchi are relatively modern buildings which have replaced the palace, Palazzo Ruzzi, shown in the plate. Immediately after Palazzo Ruzzi there was a narrow street leading to Chiesa di San Romualdo, a church pulled down in 1878 to open a larger street linking Piazza di Venezia with the railway station. The church of S. Maria di Loreto is still visible, whilst the tip of the Trajan's Column is hidden by Palazzo Spinelli.

Palazzo Odescalchi

Palazzo Odescalchi

The palace was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini who set a pattern which influenced many other palaces in Italy and Europe: in particular the high pilasters starting above the ground/first floor. Unfortunately the proportions of the building were altered by Nicola Salvi and Luigi Vanvitelli when the Odescalchi, new owners of the palace, decided to make it wider.
The coat of arms of the Odescalchi is among the most complex ones. It is made of an eagle, a lion and six lamps: because both the eagle and the lion are represented in many other coats of arms, the lamp ended up by being the distinctive mark of the Odescalchi (my background shows a detail of the wrought iron gate of the palace).

The palace is still a property of the Odescalchi family. On special occasions the public is allowed to have a look at the fine courtyard.

In the courtyard

Palazzo Spinelli

Palazzo Spinelli

Today the palace is known as Palazzo Valentini. Built in 1585 it is a small but elegant copy of Palazzo Farnese. According to Vasi it was designed by a Dominican blackfriar, Domenico Paganelli. In 1781 Vasi's map it is called Palazzo Rezzonico (the family of Clemens XIII) while in the guide Vasi calls it Palazzo Bonelli.

Excerpts from Giuseppe Vasi 1761 Itinerary related to this page:

Palazzo Odescalchi Incontro alla sopraddetta chiesa de' XII. santi Apostoli evvi questo magnifico palazzo già del Card. Chigi, eretto col disegno del Cav. Bernino; ma ora passato ne' Duchi di Bracciano, è stato disteso più oltre del doppio colla medesima architettura del Bernini, ed è ornato di statue, busti antchi, ed altre rarità degne di un Principe Romano.
Palazzo Bonelli Il prospetto di questo magnifico palazzo corrisponde sulla piazza de' XII. ss. Apostoli , e fu eretto col disegno del P. Paganelli frate Domenicano; ma elssendo rimasto imperfetto fin d'allora , non vi è stato chi compisse il magnifico cortile . In oggi spetta all'eredità Imperiali , e vi sta collocata una scelta libreria in benefizio delli studenti, e letterati.

Next plate in Book 4: Palazzo S. Marco della Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia
Next step in Day 3 itinerary: Chiesa di S. Marco
Next step in your tour of Rione Trevi: Palazzo dell'Accademia di Francia

Go to or to Book 4 or to my Home Page on Baroque Rome or to my Home Page on Rome in the footsteps of an XVIIIth century traveller.