Palazzo Orsini

Palazzo Orsini in Bomarzo is a fortified residence built in the 16th century over an older medieval castle and remodeled up to the late 1800s.

History

In 1519 Giovanni Corrado Orsini hired architect Baldassarre Peruzzi to build a new palace on part of the old castle. After Orsini’s second marriage, the project continued under Peruzzi and his half-brother, painter Pietro Antonio di Andrea. The palace was still unfinished in 1526 and was later completed by Giovanni Corrado’s son Pier Francesco (“Vicino”), who added the loggia and the gallery apartment—today the town hall.

Later, Orsini family members lived on different floors, and their coats of arms, painted by Orazio Bernardo di Domenico, remain visible. A planned gigantomachia fresco by Annibale Caro (1564) was likely never executed.

Lante della Rovere

In 1645 Ippolito Lante della Rovere acquired Bomarzo and the palace. He added a large hall with the fresco Allegory of War and Peace (1660–61) by Lorenzo Berrettini, as well as the “Secret Staircase” and a remodeled chapel containing the relics of Saint Moderato.

Borghese

The Borghese family took over in 1836 and decorated the Saletta with frescoes of nearby castles.

Address
Via Borghese 31, Bomarzo, Italy

Established
16th century