Friday, September 2, 2016

PALACE OF THE CONFESSORS

PALAZZO DEI PENITENZIERI

Begun in about 1480 maybe by Baccio Pontelli (about 1450/92) for Cardinal Domenico Della Rovere from Turin, distant cousin of Sixtus IV Della Rovere (1471/84)
It hosted the King of France Charles VIII in 1495
After the death of Domenico Della Rovere in 1501 it went to Cardinal Francesco Alidosi who, suspected of treason, was assassinated in 1511 by the Duke of Urbino Francesco Maria Della Rovere, who later lived in the palace himself
Later it belonged to Cardinal Giovanni Salviati
It took its present name for the confessors transferred here by Alexander VII Chigi (1655/67)
Now it is the HOTEL COLUMBUS and the headquarters of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem
Ceiling of the ROOM OF THE DEMIGODS in the right wing with frescoes of mythological figures maybe by Bernardino di Betto aka Pinturicchio (1454/1513) who had also painted the façade with decorations now obviously disappeared
In the other four rooms on the first floor decorations also maybe by Pinturicchio and his school
On the second floor ROOM OF APOLLO with fresco in the ceiling “Apollo driving the horses of the Sun” painted in 1552 maybe by Francesco de' Rossi aka Francesco Salviati (1510/63) for Cardinal Giovanni Salviati

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