Borghese Palace

Italian palace. One of the most magnificent buildings in Rome, in the Piazzo Borghese, the town residence of the Borghese family. It was built between 1590 and 1607 by Martino Lunghi and Flaminio Ponzio, and was known, from its shape, as Il Cembalo (‘the harpsichord’).

The inner court has two tiers of granite colonnades, with Doric columns below and Corinthian above. It contains huge ancient statues of Sabina, Julia, and Ceres. Its magnificent collection of art treasures was sold by public auction in 1892, and many of its fine paintings were removed to the Villa Borghese, belonging to the Italian state.

Pope Leo XIII acquired the important family archives for the Vatican.