Palazzo Spada

Experience the splendor of Rome’s Palazzo Spada, an incredible 16th-century mansion known for its ornate courtyard, magnificent frescoes, and stunning architecture. Explore this fascinating building today with our comprehensive guide!

Palazzo Spada was built around 1550 for Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro and is one of the largest city palaces in Rome. Thus, the building could be inaugurated in this holy year. In 1623 the building became the property of Cardinal Bernardino Spada. His brother Virgilio Spada met the architect Francesco Borromini through Pope Innocent X, from the famous Pamphilj family. They commissioned Borromini to carry out restoration work in the 17th century.

The facade features statues of famous Romans, including Caesar, Augustus, Pompey and Trajan. The papal coat of arms is that of Pope Paul III, who particularly patronized the Capodiferro family. Borromini laid out a portico that, through the use of a perspective illusion, looks considerably longer than it actually is. It appears to be 35 meters long, but in reality it is only 8.82 meters long. Another perspective masterpiece is the Pompeius Hall, which uses frescoes to showcase the giant statue of Pompeius.

Inside, an art collection of the 17th century is displayed, the gallery rooms were added by order of Bernardino Spada and house his personal collection. Among them you can find works by Caravaggio, Albrecht Dürer, Salvator Rosa and Guido Reni, who painted the famous portrait of Cardinal Spada.

Particularly noteworthy is the Beletage with its stucco gallery. The paintings and stucco decorations represent scenes from the famous Metamorphoses of Ovid. Since these parts of Palazzo Spada are used by the Italian Council of State, a visit is only possible on the morning of the first Sunday of the month. While the gallery can usually be visited every day except Tuesdays.