The ducal palace of Ariccia stands as a unique example of a Baroque residence preserved intact in its environmental context and original furnishings, showcasing the splendor of one of the greatest papal families in Italy: the Chigi, former owners of the namesake Roman palace, now the seat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Started in the second half of the sixteenth century by the Savelli family, the palace was transformed into a lavish Baroque residence commissioned by the Chigi between 1664 and 1672, based on a design concept by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who collaborated with his young pupil Carlo Fontana.
The palace boasts an important collection of paintings, sculptures, and furniture, mainly dating back to the 17th century, also sourced from other family residences, including the very palace in Rome, sold to the state in 1918. The Chigi Collection is located on the Piano Nobile of the palace.
The palace serves as a museum of itself and a center for numerous cultural activities (exhibitions, concerts, guided tours, conferences, etc.).
In 2008, the “Museum of Roman Baroque” of Palazzo Chigi was opened to the public, created based on an idea by scholar Maurizio Fagiolo Dell’Arco who passed away in 2002.
The museum, consisting of an important collection of 17th and 18th-century paintings, is located on the mezzanine floor, west wing. All works were donated mainly between 2002 and 2008.
Nearly 300 works on display confirm Palazzo Chigi’s leading role as a scientific reference not only for Roman art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, given the particular coherence, homogeneity, and systematic nature of the collections, but also with a national and international scope due to the presence of artists from various origins.
Info hours and visits:
Information about Palazzo Chigi
Piazza di Corte, 14
00040 Ariccia (Rome)
069330053
info@palazzochigiariccia.it
Source: MIBACT
