Palazzo Mattei Caetani

It's not just the home of the foundation of the same name but a key historical and artistic landmark: that's why I'm adding it to Maps and explaining why with this FIRST review. On Via delle Botteghe Oscure, a stone's throw from Piazza Venezia, stands a building that is a culmination of artistic and family lineage: I'm talking about Palazzo Caetani, also known as Palazzo Mattei Caetani, commissioned in the mid-16th century by Alessandro Mattei and designed by Nanni di Baccio Bigio as part of the Insula Mattei in the Sant'Angelo district. A palace with a simple three-story façade that doesn't proclaim its importance but hides a rich heart, starting with the elegant internal courtyard. The Matteis, a powerful family and patron of the arts, commissioned prominent figures to decorate it, including Taddeo and Federico Zuccari and Cristoforo Roncalli (il Pomarancio), who frescoed the chapel on the piano nobile and, together with the Flemish artist Paul Brill, the Salone with its splendid landscapes and mythological figures. In 1776, the palace changed hands: Francesco Caetani purchased it for nearly 40,000 scudi and began a new 18th-century decorative cycle commissioned by Antonio Cavallucci. It was during this period that the three famous portraits of Honoré VI entered the collections, for which the young prince engaged none other than Pompeo Batoni, Raffaello Mengs, and Angelica Kauffmann. Today, the palace enjoys an important and varied second life: it houses the Brazilian Embassy to the Holy See, the Camillo Caetani Foundation, offices of the Roffredo Caetani Foundation, and the FAI Delegation in Rome. This makes it a vibrant place, but not always easy to visit, as access to the historic areas may be limited or require reservations depending on institutional and cultural commitments. We recommend contacting the Caetani Foundation or checking the official website to find out if and when you can admire its masterpieces. Few buildings in Rome so beautifully illustrate the transition from the Renaissance to the 18th century, between Mattei's patronage and Caetani's sensibility, with a common thread linking Zuccari, Batoni, and Cavallucci in the same space. Need some useful info? Then leave a like and check out other reviews on Rome and beyond.