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Palazzo Spada Review

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Palazzo Spada

Address: Piazza Capo di Ferro 13, Campo, Rome | Map It
Phone: 06/6832409; 06/22582493 guided tours
www.galleriaborghese.it

Category: Castles/Palaces
Location: Navona and Campo

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Fodor's Review:

In this neighborhood of huge, austere palaces, Palazzo Spada strikes an almost frivolous note, with its upper stories covered with stuccos and statues and its pretty ornament-encrusted courtyard. The little garden gallery is a delightful example of the sort of architectural games rich Romans of the 17th century found irresistible. Even if you don't go into the gallery, step into the courtyard and look through the glass window of the library to the colonnaded corridor in the adjacent courtyard, which appears to stretch for a great distance with a large statue at the end. In fact the distance is an illusion: the corridor grows progressively narrower and the columns progressively smaller as they near the statue, which is just 2 feet tall. The illusion of depth multiplies the space by a factor of four. It was long thought that Borromini was responsible for this ruse; in fact it's now known that it was designed by an Augustinian priest, Giovanni Maria da Bitonto. Upstairs is a seignorial picture gallery, housed in period rooms. Outstanding works include Brueghel's Landscape with Windmills, Titian's Musician, and Andrea del Sarto's Visitation. Note that, due to staff shortages, there are occasional afternoon closures here

Cost: EUR 5
Open: Tues.-Sun. 8:30-7:30

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