Palazzo Altieri is a palace in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, which was the home of the Altieri family in the city. The palace faces the square in front of the Church of the Gesù

Church of the Gesu

The Church of the Gesù is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named , its facade is "the first truly baroque façade", introducing the baroque style into architecture ,. The church served as model for innumerable Jesuit...

.

The Altieri

The Altieri were one of the prominent families in Rome claiming descendancy from Roman nobility, and included Pope Clement X

Pope Clement X

Pope Clement X , born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was Pope from 29 April 1670 to 22 July 1676.-Early life:Emilio Altieri was born in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...

 (reigned 1670-1676).

When Giambattista Altieri

Giambattista Altieri

Giambattista Altieri was an Italian Catholic Cardinal.-Early life:Giambattista Altieri was born 20 June 1589 in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...

 was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Urban VIII

Pope Urban VIII

Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...

, he decided his existing house was not impressive enough; not befitting his new title so in 1650 he commissioned Giovan Antonio de' Rossi

Giovan Antonio de' Rossi

Giovan Antonio de' Rossi was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome.He was a contemporary of Carlo Rainaldi. he helped design the Cappella Lancellotti in San Giovanni in Laterano. He designed the church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio in 1682-1685. He built the oval...

 to begin renovations at the site. When Pope Clement ascended to the papal throne in 1670, further renovations were overseen by the pope's Cardinal-Nephew

Cardinal-nephew

A cardinal-nephew is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle, or, more generally, his relative. The practice of creating cardinal-nephews originated in the Middle Ages, and reached its apex during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word nepotism originally referred specifically to...

, Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni

Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni

thumb|Cardinal Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni.Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X.-Biography:...

.

By 1673, the grand salon was complete. Cardinal Camillo Massimo

Massimo

Massimo is the name of a Roman princely family of great age; which by its own tradition descends from the ancient Maximi of republican Rome and from Quintus Fabius Maximus , called Cunctator...

 recommended Carlo Maratta

Carlo Maratta

Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...

 as the artist, and Giovanni Bellori helped with the iconography. Clemency (punning with pope's name) is surrounded by Public Happiness and other cardinal virtues.

Modern use

The building is now occupied by a bank; though the interiors still possess major works of art and decoration, including paintings by Luca Giordano

Luca Giordano

Luca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain....

, Bernardo Strozzi

Bernardo Strozzi

Bernardo Strozzi was a prominent and prolific Italian Baroque painter born and active mainly in Genoa, and also active in Venice.-Biography:Strozzi was born in Genoa. He was probably not related to the other Strozzi family....

, Pieter Mulier the younger

Pieter Mulier II

Cavalier Pietro Tempesta, or Pieter Mulier II was a Dutch Golden Age painter active in Italy.-Biography:Muller was born in Haarlem. He learned to paint from his father, Pieter Mulier I and travelled to Italy, working in Rome , Genoa and northern Italy until he died in Milan. He took on the pupil...

, Domenico Maria Canuti

Domenico Maria Canuti

Domenico Maria Canuti was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Bologna and Rome.Born in Bologna, Canuti first trained in that city under Guido Reni, then with Guercino. He painted many ceiling and wall frescoes...

, Lionello Spada, Fabrizio Chiari

Fabrizio Chiari

Fabrizio Chiari, a painter and engraver, was born at Rome, according to Orlandi, in 1621. He painted some frescoes in the palaces at Rome, and died in 1695. We have some etchings by this artist after N. Poussin, executed in a scratchy but masterly style, amongst which are:*Mars and Venus, in a...

, Felice Giani

Felice Giani

Felice Giani was an Italian painter of the Neoclassic style. His grand manner subjects often included Greco-Roman allusions or themes....

, Vincenzo Camuccini

Vincenzo Camuccini

Vincenzo Camuccini was an Italian painter of Neoclassic histories and religious paintings. He was considered the premier academic painter of his time in Rome.-Biography:...

, Francesco Zuccarelli

Francesco Zuccarelli

Francesco Zuccarelli was an Italian Rococo painter.He was born at Pitigliano, in southern Tuscany, where he initially apprenticed with Paolo Anesi...

, Francesco Manno

Francesco Manno

Francesco Manno was an Italian painter and architect. Born at Palermo in 1754, he began life as a goldsmith, but afterwards devoted himself to painting. In 1786 he settled at Rome, and became the Secretary of the Accademia di San Luca. He was employed by Pope Pius VI. On 13 July 1794 he became a...

 and Giuseppe Bonito

Giuseppe Bonito

Giuseppe Bonito was a Neapolitan painter of the Rococo period. Giuseppe Bonito is known for genre depictions on canvas. Many of Gaspare Traversi's paintings had previously been attributed to Bonito....

.

External links

• History of the Palazzo Altieri