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Palazzo Altieri in Monterosi: the cardinals' residence that hosted a future pope
Palazzo Altieri is today the seat of the Municipality of Monterosi, in the province of Viterbo. But before becoming a town hall, this building hosted cardinals, a future pope, and a noble Roman family.
From convent to cardinal's residence
The foundations already tell us something: beneath the palazzo lay the ruins of a monastic structure, probably belonging to Cistercian monks. Alessandro Farnese (1520–1589), nephew of Pope Paul III, transformed it into a residence. Farnese didn't think small — he also had the stretch of the Via Cassia Cimina built to connect Monterosi to his other residence in Caprarola.
A pope under this roof
In 1588, Ippolito Aldobrandini lived here. The name may not ring a bell, but the title he would take shortly after says it all: Pope Clement VIII. It later became the residence of Cardinal Altieri, from whom it takes its name, and from 1870 the palazzo passed to the Del Drago family. These Roman nobles would remain the owners until the postwar period.
Visiting the palazzo today
The palazzo can be visited as a municipal building. The former stables have been renovated, and now house the Casa dell'Artista, a cultural association dedicated to promoting and safeguarding all forms of art.
