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.
The palazzo once housed the Accademia dei Lincei, one of Europe's earliest scientific societies, where scholars gathered to conduct their research. The rooms inside still reflect this past as a center of learning and intellectual exchange.
The building now serves as the headquarters of a religious community and contains multiple chapels, a library, and administrative spaces that are not always open to visitors. It is advisable to check in advance whether visits are possible, since its use by a religious community may limit access.
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.
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