Palazzetto Venezia, Renaissance palace near Piazza Venezia, Rome, Italy
Palazzetto Venezia is a Renaissance palace in Rome featuring two stories of arcaded loggias arranged in a trapezoidal footprint and linked to the Torre della Biscia tower. The structure is connected to a larger complex and forms part of the architectural heritage around Piazza Venezia.
Pope Paul II created it in 1467 as the porticoed viridarium, the southern wing of Palazzo San Marco, on the site of the demolished church of San Nicola de Monte. Paul III bricked up the loggia arches in the 1530s, and Pius IV assigned the building to the Republic of Venice in 1564. It was demolished in 1909 and rebuilt with its salvaged materials a few dozen metres away for the enlargement of Piazza Venezia.
The name Palazzetto di San Marco, used from the 16th century, marked it as the smaller annex of Palazzo San Marco. Under Paul III at least seventy consistories were held here, and in 1536 Charles V was received in audience. Since 2006 the upper loggia has housed the museum's lapidarium.
The building is located at Piazza Venezia, a central point in Rome easily reached on foot. Access to the Lapidarium collection may require checking opening hours and may involve guided visits.
When the building was relocated, original materials from its first construction were carefully preserved and reused in the new location. This approach allowed the structure to retain its authentic character despite the major move.
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