|
|
 |
The palace was begun in 1645 by the architects Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi, but the
decoration was carried out also by Francesco Borromini
who designed a splendid gallery, and Pietro da Cortona, who frescoed "Scenes from the
Aeneid". Pope Innocent X Pamphilj wanted to equal the splendour of his predecessor
Urban VIII Barberini, who had constituted a splendid palace for his family: perhaps also
for this reason he summoned the same artist who had frescoed the main hall of Palazzo
Barberini. The great expenses were met by selling off important positions at court,
increased taxes, including those on wine and bread, following the suggestions of his
grasping sister-in-law, Olimpia Maidalchini, who received the title of Princess. But when
in 1655 the Pope lay dying, Princess Olimpia fled to her land in the area of Viterbo,
taking with her the riches she had accumulated, and leaving the Pope to die alone. The
 historian
Gregorovius says that the Pope's body remained three days in a storeroom, and none
of his relatives came to take charge of the burial. Finally, an old servant, Monsignor
Scotti, who had been dismissed high-handedly by the Pope, paid the money for a wooden
coffin. Olimpia died during a plague epidemic a few years later in her domains at San
Martino al Cimino. Her descendants inherited her love of beautiful architecture, and built
splendid palaces in Rome, including Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, on via del Corso, and the
large Doria Pamphilj parc. In the palace on via del Corso, one may inspect the splendid
collection of sculpture and paintings, including a bust portrait of Olimpia (by the
sculptor Algardi), and the portrait Innocent X Pamphilj, painted by Velazquez.
Accessibility
The palace is not normally accessible to the public. One may admire the splendid façade
from Piazza Navona (where there are stone
benches and many cafés where one can sit in the open air during spring and summer).
in the photo: Palazzo Pamphilj |
