Palazzo Colonna

Overview

Located near Piazza Venezia, Palazzo Colonna is arguably the most fiercely opulent, breathtaking private residence in Rome. Open to the public only on absolutely strict, limited hours, it offers an impossibly lavish glimpse into the world of the Roman black nobility.

Highlights

• The Great Gallery: An intensely spectacular, 76-metre-long hall completely encrusted in gleaming gold, massive frescoes, colored marble, and Venetian chandeliers. It heavily rivals the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
• The Cannonball: Look explicitly for a 19th-century cannonball still visibly, violently embedded directly in the marble staircase—a stark remnant fired from the Janiculum Hill during the 1849 Siege of Rome.
• The Art: The heavily gilded walls are completely covered in masterpieces by Carracci, Tintoretto, and Guercino.

History

The massively powerful Colonna family (who produced Pope Martin V) has unapologetically owned and lived in this massive palace for over 800 years. The Great Gallery was commissioned in the mid-1600s specifically to celebrate Marcantonio Colonna's spectacular naval victory over the Ottoman fleet at the legendary Battle of Lepanto.

Visitor Tips

• Opening Times: This is crucial—it is only open to the public on Saturday mornings. You must plan your itinerary strictly around this window.
• The Pavilion: Pay the slightly extra fee to access the Princess Isabella Pavilion on the lower floor; the private apartments are astonishingly beautiful and intimate.