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Palazzo Colonna in Marino: the Renaissance fortress of the Castelli Romani
The austere Palazzo Colonna in Marino, today the seat of the municipal government, dominates the historic centre. Its story in the Castelli Romani begins in 1532, when Antonio da Sangallo the Younger began its construction on top of a pre-existing fortress. Its current appearance is the result of a century-long building process, and of the massive reconstruction after the war.
A history of power and art
Sangallo's original project called for a fortress with four towers, but it was never completed. It nonetheless became a centre of power and culture, with rooms once adorned by important fresco cycles and a vast picture gallery.
The wounds of war and rebirth
The palazzo was almost entirely destroyed by the bombing of 2 February 1944 — a tragic event. Its reconstruction during the 1950s restored the city's institutional seat, but a large part of its artistic heritage was lost forever.
The connection with the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura
A curious link ties the palazzo to the Basilica of San Paolo fuori le Mura (St Paul’s outside the walls). After the fire that destroyed the basilica in 1823, the portraits of the Popes once kept here — later destroyed in 1944 — were used as models to recreate the series of papal medallions.
As the seat of the Municipality, the palazzo is accessible during office hours. The main public entrance is located in Piazza della Repubblica.
