Type:

Luoghi della cultura; Oggetto fisico

Category:

Museums

Collicola Palace Palazzo Collicola is located in the homonym square—Piazza Collicola—expressly realized at the beginning of the 17th century to create space for the sumptuous and noble residence. In the same period, other squares with their respective palaces characterized the urban planning of Spoleto, such as Piazza Rosari, Piazza Ancaiani, Piazza Della Genga and Piazza Pianciani, to name some. The building was designed by the Roman architect Sebastiano Cipriani and its construction lasted from 1717 to 1730. The first prominent figure of the family was Taddeo Collicola, personal physician of Pope Urban VIII during the first half of the 17th century. The fortunes of this family, who came from Montesanto, near Sellano, grew in the next century. The palace hosted illustrious figures such as Charles III of Spain in 1734, Pope Pius VI in 1782 and King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia in 1801. When the family disappeared, the edifice was acquired by the Municipality in 1932, and today it hosts the museums of Palazzo Collicola Arti Visive e Museo Caradente dedicated respectively to visual arts and sculptures. The façade of the building is plain and divided horizontally by three orders of windows, corresponding to the internal floors. The backside has undergone serious alterations; only some of the original trees, part of the Italian Garden, have survived. The interior has been striped of its luxurious furnishings, which came from the inheritance left by Christine of Sweden; the Piano Nobile—main floor—is decorated with the 18th century paintings of Liborio Coccetti.