At a glance

Type

Noble palace (partially demolished); integrated into museum complex

Period

Built c. 1550s for the Caffarelli family; demolished 1926

Style

Roman Renaissance; surviving tower incorporated into Capitoline Museums

Location

Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill), Rome, Italy

Coordinates

41.8930° N, 12.4826° E

Overview

The Caffarelli Palace occupied the Arx, the southern of the two summits of the Capitoline Hill, directly above the ruins of the ancient Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus — the most sacred precinct of ancient Rome. The palace passed through several aristocratic and diplomatic hands over the centuries before becoming the German Embassy under the Kingdom of Italy. It stood in an uneasy relationship with the Capitoline Museums complex that flanked it, and its partial demolition in the 1920s allowed the museums to expand significantly.

History

The Caffarelli family, a powerful Roman noble clan, constructed the palace in the mid-16th century on land that had been in private hands since the medieval period, built directly over ancient foundations and spoil from the Temple of Jupiter excavations. In the 19th century the property was acquired by the Kingdom of Prussia and subsequently the German Empire, which used it as a consulate and then as the official German Embassy in Rome. The German archaeological polymath Johann Joachim Winckelmann had also spent time in Rome during the period when the area was subject to scholarly attention. After World War I and the end of German diplomatic tenure, the Italian state acquired the property, and in 1926 the main palace body was demolished to allow the Capitoline Museums to incorporate the site.

What you see

Today the Caffarelli tower — the medieval-Renaissance tower that formed part of the palace complex — survives as a distinctive element at the southern edge of the Capitoline Museums. From its terraces and from the adjoining museum rooms visitors enjoy panoramic views over the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, and the Palatine Hill. Beneath the site, archaeological excavations over the past century have progressively revealed the monumental podium of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, fragments of which are on display in the Capitoline Museums.

Cultural significance

The site of the Caffarelli Palace sits at the convergence of Rome’s most sacred ancient precinct and a history of aristocratic, diplomatic, and imperial occupation that spans a millennium. The ongoing archaeological investigation of the Temple of Jupiter beneath the former palace grounds represents one of the most symbolically charged excavation projects in Rome. The surviving tower and its integration into the Capitoline Museums preserves a physical link to the layered history of the Campidoglio.

Practical information

Address

Piazza del Campidoglio 1, 00186 Rome, Italy (Capitoline Museums)

Access

Accessible as part of the Capitoline Museums complex; paid admission

Hours

Check the Capitoline Museums official website (museicapitolini.org) for current hours

Getting there

The Capitoline Hill is accessible from Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Vittoriano monument, a short walk up the cordonata ramp designed by Michelangelo. Bus lines 40, 44, 63, 64, 85, 117, and many others stop at Piazza Venezia. The nearest metro stations are Colosseo (line B, about 10 minutes on foot) and the area is well served by tram line 8 from Trastevere.

Sources & resources

• Palazzo Caffarelli — Wikipedia
• Cultural Heritage Online