Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ROME'S HISTORIC FAMILIES
The Farnese
At home at Palazzo Farnese (
Click here
), the all-powerful Farnese dynasty was one of Renaissance Rome's most
celebrated families. Originally landed gentry in northern Lazio, they hit the big time in 1493 when Giulia Farnese
became the mistress of Pope Alexander VI. Hardly an official post, it nevertheless gave Alessandro, Giulia's
brother , enough influence to secure his election as Pope Paul III (r 1534-49).
The Borghese
Originally from Siena, the Borghese moved to Rome in the 16th century and quickly established themselves in
high society. It was Camillo Borghese's election as Pope Paul V (r 1605-21) that opened the family's path to un-
told wealth. They became one of Rome's leading landowners and Scipione Borghese, Camillo's nephew, estab-
lished himself as the city's most influential art patron - his collection is now on show in his former residence at
the Museo e Galleria Borghese (
Click here
).
The Chigi
Agostino Chigi (1465-1520), one of the richest men in early-16th-century Rome, was the star of the Chigi bank-
ing family. A close confidant of Pope Julius II (the man who commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine
Chapel), he was celebrated for his lavish entertaining at Villa Farnesina (
Click here
), his palatial residence.
Later, the Chigi amassed further fortunes under Pope Alexander VII (r 1655-67), aka Fabio Chigi.
The Barberini
The only one of Rome's great families to have a metro station named after it, the Barberini arrived in Rome in the
early 16th century, escaping their native Tuscany and a dangerous rivalry with the Florentine Medici. They settled
well and in 1623 Maffeo Barberini was elected Pope Urban VIII, opening the floodgates to the usual round of
family appointments and extravagant building projects, including the lavish Palazzo Barberini (
Click here
).
The Borgias
A byword for intrigue and excess, the Spanish Borgias shocked Renaissance Rome with their murderous ambition
and unbridled debauchery. The family patriarch, Rodrigo, served as Pope Alexander VI (r 1492-1503), while his
two illegitimate children Cesare (said to have been the model for Machiavelli's
Il Principe
) and Lucrezia (a sup-
posed serial poisoner) earned reputations for deviousness and cruelty.
Piazza Colonna & Around
PIAZZA COLONNA
( Via del Corso)
Together with Piazza di Montecitorio, this stylish piazza is Rome's polit-
ical nerve centre. On its northern flank, the 16th-century
Palazzo Chigi
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
PIAZZA
guided visits 9am-1pm Sat Oct-May, booking required)
F
has been
(
www.governo.it
;
Piazza Colonna 370;
