Palazzo Cesi, Renaissance palazzo near St Peter's Square, Rome, Italy.
Palazzo Cesi is a Renaissance palace near St Peter's Square in Rome, known for its internal courtyard where sections of the ancient Via Cornelia pavement are still visible. The building has a grand staircase and now serves as the headquarters of Italy's Military Judiciary Council.
Cardinal Francesco Armellini commissioned this palace in the early 16th century on a site traditionally associated with the philosopher Seneca. Later in the same century, the Cesi family took ownership and gave the building its current name.
The ground floor displays 17th-century frescoes showing scenes from King Solomon's life, painted by artists trained in Pietro da Cortona's workshop. These works are among the few visible traces of the building's former role as a center of artistic patronage.
The palace is near St Peter's Square and is generally not open to the public, as it functions as a government institution. It is worth checking in advance whether any occasional guided visits are offered.
During World War II, Father Pancrazio Pfeiffer hid Jews, politicians, and partisans inside the palace to protect them from Nazi persecution. This rescue effort is little known but well documented, and it gives the building a human story that goes beyond its architectural history.
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