Palazzo Massimo istoriato

Palazzo Massimo istoriato is a Renaissance palace in Rome featuring a facade decorated with narrative frescoes depicting ancient scenes, created in the 16th century. The building stands on the remains of Domitian's ancient Odeon, with a recovered monolithic column now visible in the small square behind the main piazza.

The palace was severely damaged during the 1527 Sack of Rome and rebuilt starting in 1532 under architect Giovanni Mangone, a student of Antonio da Sangallo. This reconstruction represented the city's gradual recovery and renewal of civic building projects in the following decades.

The ground floor housed one of Rome's first printing workshops, where German printers Schweynheym and Pannartz produced 12,475 volumes between 1467 and 1473.

The palace is easily reached from nearby Piazza Navona and its exterior can be viewed from the street. The monolithic column recovered from the ancient Odeon is displayed in a small public square directly behind the main piazza, making it simple to locate and observe.

The ground floor once housed one of Rome's earliest printing workshops, where German printers Schweynheym and Pannartz produced around 12,000 volumes between 1467 and 1473. This early printing center played an important role in spreading knowledge during the Renaissance period.