The Palazzo di Donna Olimpia is a historic building in Viterbo. It is located next to the ancient city gate Porta San Pietro. The original name of the building was Palazzo dell’Abate.
Palazzo di Donna Olimpia Viterbo
Address, opening times and ticket price
The address of Palazzo di Donna Olimpia is Via San Pietro, 80 – Viterbo. The building is not open to tourists.
History and description
The Palazzo di Donna Olimpia was originally called the Palazzo dell’Abate. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century by the monks of the Abbazia Cistercense di San Martino al Cimino. The monks used it as a shelter when another war broke out and the abbey was no longer safe.
In 1647, the brother of the then pope and his wife Donna Olimpia Maidalchini were appointed princes of San Martino and thus received the palace in their possession. This was also the moment when the name was changed to Palazzo di Donna Olimpia.
Within its walls is the Monastero delle Duchesse (“Convent of the Counts”) where children abandoned by their parents used to be raised.
Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, by the way, was a much-talked-about lady who was notorious for her greed for money.