The Palazzo Rivaldi Silvestri is a historic building in the rione Monti in Rome. Both the palace itself and the accompanying garden are unfortunately rather badly maintained.
Palazzo Rivaldi Silvestri Rome
Useful information
The address of the Palazzo Rivaldi Silvestri is Via del Colosseo – Rome. The palace is not open to the public.
History and description
The Villa Rivaldi Silvestri was built in the 2nd part of the 16th century. Construction was commissioned by Eurialo Silvestri da Cingoli, a chamberlain of Pope Paolo III Farnese. The architect was Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane. The work began in 1547, after the chamberlain had been allowed to add the terraces above the Circus of Maxentius to an already existing property. In 1586 the construction, carried out by Giacomo del Duca, was completed.
In 1933, during the construction of the Via dell’Impero (today’s Via dei Fori Imperiali), part of the villa’s gardens were expropriated and destroyed. Terracotta decorations that referred to the Medici and were incorporated into the supporting wall are now on display at the Museo di Roma.
In the 1970s the building, then owned by the Santa Maria in Aquiro Institute, was squatted for a while.
At the moment, unfortunately, little of the building and its garden can be seen as it is completely abandoned and in scaffolding. Wall paintings within the building have disappeared and the garden contains multiple ruins of, by now, unknown providence.
From the courtyard, one can descend into a storage area excavated into the volcanic tuff stone ground. this space is connected to other underground rooms.