The Palazzo Orsini Taverna is a historic building in Rome‘s Ponte district. It consists of a several buildings that together form a large complex.
Palazzo Orsini Taverna Rome
Address, times, tariffs
The address of the Palazzo Orsini Taverna is Via di Monte Giordano, 36 – Rome. Telephone: +39 066833785 or +39 0668307957. The building is private property and can only be viewed from the outside.
History Palazzo Orsini Taverna Rome
The Palazzo Orsini Taverna actually consists of a number of pre-existing and then joined buildings. It is located on an artificial knoll called Monte Giordano. This was either created by the soil-covered ruins of the Statilio Tauro Amphitheater or by piling up the shards of vases washed up at a nearby port along the Tiber.
In the 12th century, the district was owned by Giovanni di Concione and included a fortress, with several defense towers.
The Orsini had settled on this height as early as 1286. Soon, therefore, the hill was renamed Mons Ursinorum.
Giordano Orsini was a 14th century Roman senator and also the grandson of Pope Nicolò II.
The fortress was split up into a number of palaces, occupied by different branches of the family and just as often sold to cardinals or ambassadors.
In 1688, Flavio Orsini, the last Duke of Bracciano, was forced by debts to sell the entire complex to Pietro and Antonio Gabrielli. The latter bought several buildings surrounding the hill and turned the whole into one large structure.
In 1888, the last representative of the Gabrielli family died. The palace was taken over by the Milanese Count Taverna, whose family still owns the palace.
Description
The Palazzo Orsini Taverna consists of five large buildings that belonged to the Orsini, and a tall 16th-century wall built by Baldassare Peruzzi. These are all located on the Via di Panico and Via Monte Giordano sides.
The oldest part of the complex is located along the Vicolo Domizio.
The two parts are separated by the large arched entrance, which opens onto an equally large courtyard. Here stands a fountain built in 1618 by Antonio Casoni and renovated in the 18th century by Gabrielli. The water is supplied by the Acqua Paola Aqueduct.
Other buildings belonging to the complex are the Palazzo dei Conti di Pitigliano (which has its entrance on Via dei Coronari) and the Palazzo dei Signori di Monterotondo (which borders the Piazza del Fico and the Vicolo del Montonaccio). The latter building is characterized by the enormous 18th century Torre Augusta. This tower was named after the wife of its owner Placido Gabrielli.
The former Santi Simone and Giuda Church has its entrance on Via di San Simone.