Palazzo Capilupi

Palazzo Capilupi is a Renaissance palazzo on Via dei Prefetti with additional entrances on Vicolo Rosini and Vicolo Valdina. The structure displays typical Renaissance architectural features throughout its design and organization.

Bishop Ippolito Capilupi purchased the residence from the Degli Stazii family in 1534 during his visit to Rome for Charles V's coronation ceremony. This acquisition marked the start of ownership by this prominent Mantuan family.

The residence reflects the taste of Mantuan aristocracy through the art collection it once housed. Walking past the building gives a sense of what mattered to the regional nobility during the Renaissance.

A commemorative plaque at 17 Via dei Prefetti marks the location of a historical fountain that once depicted the Capitoline Wolf. Visitors can locate and read this marker to learn more about the site's past.

The inventor of the telegraph, Samuel Morse, lived in this palazzo from February 1830 to January 1831, as documented by a plaque on the facade. His stay connects the building to a pivotal moment in the history of telecommunications.