Palazzo Martinengo Palatini, Baroque palace in Piazza del Mercato, Brescia, Italy
Palazzo Martinengo Palatini is a Baroque building on Piazza del Mercato in Brescia featuring three facade sections with stone pilasters, string courses, and an Ionic main gate adorned with festoons and lion heads. The structure rises across multiple levels and displays typical Baroque architectural divisions and decorative details throughout.
Count Teofilo III Martinengo initiated construction in 1672 on the site of a fourteenth-century residence, with the building completed in the early 1700s. This baroque reconstruction marked a complete transformation of the medieval structure that previously occupied the location.
The Apollo Hall displays ceiling frescoes by Giulio Quaglio showing the Reception of Hercules alongside six historical scenes depicting Alexander the Great. These artworks remain visible to those entering the main halls today.
The building serves as headquarters for the University of Brescia, housing administrative offices and the Rector's department since 2000. Visitors should know that it functions as an active university campus, so access to some areas may be restricted.
A medieval tower stands at the northwestern corner, visible as the last remaining structure from the original Gambara family estate that stood outside the Roman walls. This tower creates an interesting contrast with the Baroque construction surrounding it.
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