Italian Palazzi

Many of the events marking Italian history from the Middle Ages to the late eighteenth century took shape in buildings, often family residences, where celebrations were held, ostentatious enough to demonstrate their sovereignty, or cozy salons which attracted illuminati and patrons of the arts to gather around the most passionate, talented artists of their time. This was one of the ways in which the wealth of art which distinguished Italy s Golden Age was accumulated and of which these palazzi were then and remain now, silent witnesses. From the palaces of the Colonna, Farnese, Orsini, and Altemps where, within their secret rooms, the papal throne was disputed over the course of centuries, to the magnificent ducal palaces of Venice and Genoa, manifest symbols of the political and economic power of the maritime republics, to the royal splendor of the Bourbon and Savoy palaces where beauty and harmony wonderfully and indissolubly merged. The architecture, art, gardens and interior design of 57 such palazzi are here sumptuously presented, from Palazzo Vecchio (1292) through the Palazzina Cinese, late nineteenth century, Palermo."