The Palazzo Spada is a building in the historical center of Rome and houses the small Galleria Spada museum, which is located on its first floor.
Palazzo Spada Rome
Address, opening hours and admission
Address: Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13 – Rome (tel. +39 06 68212743/68131065/68131079/68212736. Opening hours: The piano nobile can only be visited after a written request. (For more information visit the “Visite Guidate” section of the official website of the Palazzo Spada.
History and description
The Palazzo Spada was the property of Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro, who had it constructed on top of already existing buildings that were owned by his family. The architect was Bartolomeo Baronino. Work on the palazzo started in 1548 and most of it was finished in occasion of the 1550 Jubilee.
In 1632, the building was acquired by Cardinal Bernardino Spada, who bought it (for 3200 scudo’s) off one of Capidiferro’s inheritors and the name was accordingley changed from Palazzo Capodiferro to Palazzo Spada.
Bernardino straightaway commissioned a number of reconstructions that were to take almost 30 years to complete and included Borromini‘s famous gallery, which through optical illusion appears three times as long as its actual length.
The Galleria Spada art collection was originally assembled by members of the Spada family itself, including Bernardino.
In 1927 the Palazzo Spada was purchased by the Italian State and it is now the seat of the Italian Council of State.
The garden of the Palazzo Spada faces the river Tiber.