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Palazzo Galli in Campagnano di Roma: the Mannerist palace that showcases the power of local families
In the heart of the medieval quarter of Campagnano di Roma, a short distance from where the Rocca Orsini once stood, Palazzo Galli rises four storeys high. Built in the Mannerist style, it is one of the most imposing 16th-century buildings in the town. It tells the story of families whose influence came not from noble titles, but from the land they owned.
The Galli family
The Galli were great landowners rather than aristocrats. They built the palace in the 16th century, when Campagnano was undergoing urban expansion, promoted by the Orsini family. The family coat of arms is still visible on high, in the south-west corner of the façade. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, several members of the family served as Prior of the Community. In 1616 Pietro Galli commissioned the decoration of two chapels: one in the Church of Santa Maria del Prato, the other in the Capuchin church. His son Giovanni was a Knight of St Michael and brother-in-law of the historian Antonio degli Effetti.
What can be seen today
The main entrance features rustic ashlar, with pilasters and vaults in peperino stone. The palace originally neighboured the Rocca Orsini, which was demolished in 1882 to build the present Town Hall. Its façades also appear in the film Il caso Moro (1986), in the "Gradoli" scene.
Today Palazzo Galli cannot be visited inside, as it is privately owned, but is a highlight of the historic centre of Campagnano, reachable from Rome in about thirty minutes along the Via Cassia.
