Palazzo Valentini

The design of this building is due to Cardinal Michele Bonelli, nephew of Pope Pius V. The plant, trapezoidal, it was defined by the friar Domenico Paganelli. The Palace was partially demolished and rebuilt by Francesco Peparelli for the new owner, Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, who settled the important family library, the Imperial Library, made up of about 24.000 volumes. In the early eighteenth century, the Palace was rented to several prominent figures, among them the Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli, who made it the seat of a private theater. The entire building was then purchased in 1752 by Cardinal Spinelli, who did make the decorations on the first floor and the arrangement of the rich Library, aimed at public and frequented by Winckelmann. The current structure is characterized by the great portal, flanked by three windows on each side, with architraves and railings. The portal is flanked by two columns in travertine, topped by a large balcony balustrade. The courtyard has porticoes on two orders separated by Doric pilasters, and enriched with ancient statues. The artistic heritage of the Valentini Palace also includes the statue of Ulysses, by Ugo Attardi, along with works depicting "Aeneas and Anchises" and "Europe", by Sandro Chia.