The Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli is an enormous palace along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome. Originally constructed in the 16th century, its facade had to be moved back when the street was widened in 1886. Part of the building is now being used for government offices.
Palazzo Vidoni-Caffarelli Rome
Useful information
Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 116 – Rome. Phone: +39 . Opening times and admission: The building can only be viewed from outside. (Note that prices and times may be subject to change.)
History and description
The palace was commissioned by the Caffarelli family in 1515. The architect was a pupil of Raphael, Lorenzo Lotto.
In 1536, the palace hosted a meeting between Pope Paul III Farnese and Emperor Charles V.
In 1767, the building was sold to Cardinal Stoppani and in 1816 it came into the hands of Cardinal Vidoni.
In 1886, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II was widened, which had an effect on many palaces in the street. The then owner Carlo Giustiniani Bandini was forced to hire the architect Francesco Settimi to renovate the façade on both the Corso Vittorio Emanuele side and the Piazza Vidoni side. The force restoration was used to also raise the palace by adding one floor.
Before the start of World War II, the Directorate of the National Fascist Party was based in Palazzo Caffarelli-Vidoni.
The lower floor is characterized by the use of bossage. The portals with round arches alternate with windows with triangular tympanums.
On the second and third floors, the windows are flanked by double pillars.
What to see
Several rooms inside the palace are graced by frescoes by Anton Raphael Mengs and the school of Perin del Vaga. The paintings depict events in the life of Emperor Charles V.
There are multiple Roman statues in the building, one of which depicts Emperor Lucio Aurelio Vero.
In the courtyard is a fountain made from a Roman sarcophagus.