Palazzo Ricci

Built at the beginning of the sixteenth century for the noble Calcagni family, it then passed to the Del Bene family, who were probably responsible for the painted façade on the Piazza Ricci side, painted around 1525 by Polidoro da Caravaggio. After having had several owners, including Costanza Farnese, daughter of Paul III, it was purchased in 1577 by Cardinal Giulio Ricci. In 1634 the façade overlooking Via Giulia and the alley of S. Aurea was built. Subsequently, further elevation and expansion works were carried out. The facade on Piazza Ricci is the only example of an elbow facade present in Rome. It has a portal between architraved windows closed by railings on one side, and two ashlar arched garage doors on the other. On the first floor seven architraved windows, on the second arched windows with the painted arms of the Farnese and Ricci families on the sides. On the attic there are small framed windows and figures of weapons and trophies. Below the windows on the first floor runs a frieze with figures of prisoners, trophies and historical scenes dedicated to the grandeur of ancient Rome. At the end of the nineteenth century the painted decoration was restored by Luigi Fontana (1827-1908), who also added the decoration of the second and third floors. During the recent restorations, all the repaintings carried out by Fontana were eliminated; only those in the attic were left intact.
The facade on Via Giulia instead has two ashlar portals with a balcony above between architraved windows with railings; on the first floor seven architraved windows, on the second simple windows. In the courtyard there are some ancient fragments and a fountain, consisting of a large mask surmounted by the Ricci family coat of arms.
An interesting curiosity: Monsignor Della Casa, secretary of state of Paul III, lived in the palace around 1555 and wrote his famous "Etiquette" here.