The Sacketta family is selling the ancestral nest

/ Architecture /
Palazzo Sacchetta in Rome is for sale through Sotheby's International Realty. The history of the "Pearl of the Late Renaissance in the Heart of Rome" begins in 1536.

A pupil of the great architect Donato Bramante, the Roman architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger built an ego for his family. The building is a typical example of an aristocratic Roman palazzo of the mid-XNUMXth century in the style of the late Renaissance. Its restrained lines already anticipate the early Baroque.

The facade of the building is decorated with the coat of arms of Pope Paul III. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

However, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger did not manage to finish the work. In 1546, he died, according to legend, "of shame", unable to withstand competition with Michelangelo. Antonio's son hired the architect Nanna di Baccio Viggio (pseudonym of Giovanna Lippa), who completed the construction. In 1576, the Roman banker Tiberio Ceuli bought the palazzo. Then the palace changed owners several more times, each of whom contributed to the decoration of the interior and exterior of the building.

The interior of the Nymph Pavilion. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

The palazzo chapel, built at the beginning of the XNUMXth century by order of the archbishop of Naples. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

"Black aristocrats", the Guelphs of the Pope, were expelled from Florence by the Dukes of Medici and settled in Rome.

In 1648, the palace was acquired by the Marquis Sacketta family. For three centuries, the palace became their family residence. During the residence of the Sackettas, the interiors were renovated several times, and the area of ​​the building was expanded by adding terraces.

This palazzo has several entrances from different streets. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

The halls of the palace are richly decorated with marble statues, frescoes and stained glass windows. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

Currently, the total area of ​​the Sacchetta Palace is 2025 square meters. The area of ​​the terrace is 275 square meters. In the courtyard there is a large garden with access to the embankment of the Tiber River.
The 12 halls of the palace are decorated with frescoes by Francesco Salviata, Pietro da Cortona and Jacopino del Conte, marble statues, and stained glass windows.

A regular-style garden in the courtyard of Palazzo Sacchetta. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

View of the Nymph Pavilion built by Carlo Raynalda in 1660. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

Upper terrace of the palace. Image source: Sotheby's International Realty

Emile Zola mentioned the Sacchetta Palace in his trilogy "Three Cities". Paolo Sorrentino filmed his film "The Great Beauty" in the interiors of the palazzo. It is here, on Via Julia street, that one of the film's heroines lives, Viola.

A frame from the film "Great Beauty" by Paolo Sorrentino. The dinner scene at Viola's house, to which no one came, was filmed in Palazzo Sacchetta.

Practically everything that made up the interior of the hall, including the porcelain dinner set, was sold at auction.

In January 2016, the Sacchetta family decided to sell their family collection at Sotheby's, several hundred interior items and furniture from the palace went under the hammer, and now it's the turn of the building itself. There is no publicly available information about the cost of the palazzo. You can find out by sending a request to the official website of Sotheby's International Realty.