Palazzo Chigi

For other uses, see Palazzo Chigi (disambiguation).
Palazzo Chigi
Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic

Palazzo Chigi. Italy's Prime Minister residence
General information
Town or city Rome
Country Italy
Coordinates 41°54′05″N 12°28′47″E / 41.901389°N 12.479722°E / 41.901389; 12.479722
Current tenants Matteo Renzi
Construction started 1562
Completed 1580
Client Aldobrandini family
Chigi family
Design and construction
Architect Giacomo della Porta
Carlo Maderno

The Palazzo Chigi (Italian pronunciation: [paˈlattso ˈkiːdʒi]) is a palace or noble residence in Rome and the official residence of the Prime Minister of the Italian Republic. Since February 22nd 2014, the occupant of Palazzo Chigi has been Matteo Renzi.

The Palazzo, overlooking the Piazza Colonna and the Via del Corso, was begun in 1562 by Giacomo della Porta and completed by Carlo Maderno in 1580 for the Aldobrandini family. In 1659 it was purchased by the Chigi family.[1] It was then remodelled by Felice della Greca and Giovan Battista Contini. It has five floors, a broad stairway that leads to the living rooms, and a courtyard decorated with a fountain, designed by Giacomo della Porta. The fountain has been copied in many sites in Rome and other Italian cities.[2]

In 1878 it became the residence of the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Italy. In 1916 it was bought by the Italian state and became the seat of the Minister for Colonial Affairs. Later it was the official residence of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1961 it became the official meeting place of Council of Ministers whose President is the head of the Italian government.

The Palazzo Chigi in an 18th-century etching by Giuseppe Vasi

The Library Hall was commissioned by Agostino Chigi at the end of the 17th century in order to house the enormous library of cardinal Flavio Chigi. The project was realized by Giovan Battista Contini, a famous architect of the period. The Chigi library or Chigiana contained thousands of valuable manuscripts, to a large part based on the personal library of Pope Alexander VII, a member of the Chigi family. Since the time of Pope Benedict XV, the Vatican attempted to acquire this library, but lacked the necessary funds. Eventually, Pietro Tacchi Venturi was tasked by Pope Pius XI to negotiate the purchase with the newly formed fascist government of Benito Mussolini. Venturi managed to convince Mussolini to donate the library to the Vatican free of charge.

See also

Some other Italian institutional buildings:

Notes

  1. ↑ "Palaces, Villas and Gardens". Rome Guide Italy. Travelplan.it. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  2. ↑ Roberto Piperno; Rosamie Moore. "Piazza Colonna". Retrieved 2007-05-19.
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