A Beautiful Day in Rome - Palazzo Colonna
I should probably start this story with a little background. We live in Foligno, which is a small town located in Umbria, right in the heart of Italy. We have the good fortune to be 1.5 hours from Rome by train. This is why, whenever there is a special exhibition in Rome or if we’ve come across something interesting, such as Palazzo Colonna, we hop on the train and spend the day there. We consider ourselves fortunate to be so close to Rome. Most people spend years saving and planning to visit the Eternal City. Quite often, they only get to see a limited number of the famous monuments.
Palazzo Colonna is one of the oldest and largest private palaces in Rome. Construction began in the 14th Century and the Colonna family has resided in the palace for 800 years! Recently, Virginia received a notice from www.romeing.it which mentioned Palazzo Colonna. What struck us was the fact that the Colonna family opens the Palace to the public every Saturday from 9:00 am – 1:30 pm. It’s not particularly expensive, and you basically have access to a huge amount of art and history. It took us no time to make our reservations and buy our train tickets.
1st You Visit the Gardens
When we arrived at the Palazzo, we were given masks and told how to most easily wander through the various parts of the structure. 1st was the gardens which were beautiful. There is a large fountain which features beautiful mosaic designs. Above it you have a spectacular view of Rome.
Next You Wander through the Pio Pavilion
This section of the palace is dedicated to Princess Donna Sveva Colonna who married the Spanish Prince Don Alfonso Pio Falcò. It’s an impressive space. The six large tapestries represent moments in the life of Alexander the Great and date back to 18th Century.
Then on to The Great Hall - Simply Magnificant!
Below are some pictures from the Great Hall. I can’t begin to tell you how incredible it was to walk through this part of the palace. I’m not an art historian, but I do have a deep appreciation for all sorts of painters, styles, periods, etc. In the Great Hall, there’s something for everyone!
Finally, an Enchanting Stroll through Princess Isabella's Apartment
Princess Isabella’s apartment is a series of rooms that reflect a Venetian interior design. They are filled with art and style.
Here’s an altered snippet about her from Wikipedia:
Isabelle Hélène Sursock married into the Colonna family having come from a powerful Lebanese family (which traces its origins to the Byzantine empire). After the end of the monarchy in 1946 Isabelle effectively replaced queen Marie José as the substitute queen of Italy. Donna Isabelle, as she then became known, occupied a prime position among the élite of Roman society throughout her long life up to the 1980s. She was a lady of great intelligence and power who intensely guarded the artistic collection of the family throughout the darkest periods of both world wars. She shielded persecuted Jews and resisted the fascists wherever possible.
A pleasant surprise for us was Isabella’s collection of Pieter Bruegal paintings. Here are some examples:
Some final thoughts:
It’s amazing that the Colonna family opens its doors and allows us to see this incredible palace. One of the most pleasant things about visiting is that you can basically wander freely throughout the palace. You can walk right up to paintings or statues or furniture and there’s no one there yelling at you to keep your distance. In fact, the staff was very friendly and engaging.
I have to say that if you are only going to visit Italy or Rome once in your life, you simply must put Palazzo Colonna on your list of things to see. It’s magnificant!
