Palazzo Besso, Renaissance palace in Largo di Torre Argentina, Italy
Palazzo Besso is a Renaissance palace on Largo di Torre Argentina in Rome with four inner courtyards. The building displays ornate portals, decorative windows, and cornices that exemplify traditional Roman architectural elements.
The Rustici family commissioned the palace in the 15th century and shaped its original form. Cardinal Ottavio Paravicini acquired the building in 1606 and hired architect Domenico Paganelli to undertake major modifications.
The Council Room displays a wooden coffered ceiling bearing the Strozzi-Majorca coat of arms along with frescoes painted by Tarquinio Ligustri. This decorated space shows how wealthy families used rooms to demonstrate their power and artistic taste.
The building opens to visitors through guided tours organized by the Marco and Ernesta Besso Foundation offered once or twice monthly. It is best to check ahead for tour dates since these are the only way to see the historic rooms and museum collection.
Leone Strozzi established a museum in the early 1700s that assembled natural specimens, ethnographic objects, gems, coins, marble pieces, and an Egyptian sistrum. This collection reveals how wealthy Romans expressed their fascination with exotic and ancient artifacts.
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