Palazzo Cesi Armellini, Renaissance palazzo in Borgo district, Rome, Italy

Palazzo Cesi Armellini is a three-story brick building on Via della Conciliazione in the Borgo district with a monumental marble portal framed by Doric columns. The facade displays the Cesi family coat of arms and demonstrates the refinement typical of Renaissance architecture in this area.

Construction began in 1517 under Cardinal Francesco Armellini and was later redesigned by architect Martino Longhi the Elder for the Cesi family. This transformation established the palazzo as an important center during the Renaissance and shaped its appearance to the present day.

In 1618 the palace briefly hosted the Accademia dei Lincei, the society founded by Federico Cesi in 1603 and previously based at Palazzo Cesi Gaddi in rione Ponte. The Cesi brothers Angelo and Pier Donato kept antiques and a large book collection here, and Pier Donato's nephew Paolo Emilio financed the facade in 1587.

The palace is owned by the General Curia of the Society of the Divine Savior, which has had its headquarters here since 1895 and uses part of it as its motherhouse. The main front faces Via della Conciliazione, with a second wing added along Borgo Santo Spirito between 1944 and 1946. Since it is a religious house, access to the courtyard and the frescoed loggia is not guaranteed; ask the curia before planning a visit.

During World War II, the palazzo served as a shelter under Father Pancrazio Pfeiffer, protecting Jews, politicians, and resistance members from German persecution. This hidden chapter in the building's story reveals an act of courage that took place within these Renaissance walls.