M-M-M-My Colonna

Our first stop on Saturday was at nearby Galleria Colonna, which is an absolutely stunning, must-see palace and art gallery dating back to the 1300s.  Many of the rooms are Baroque style.  It's an absolute treasure.  

The Colonna family still lives in the palazzo, which for a while was the papal seat, when Colonna family member, Oddone Colonna, serving as Pope Martin V, lived there as pope.  

(Editor: You don't hear of people being named "Oddone" any more.

Writer: Well, yeah, there's a reason.)

Well, 86 years after Pope Martin V died, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door and no pope since has taken the name "Martin."  I wonder why.

Over 20 generations of the Colonna family have lived in the palazzo, which is only 19 generations more than the average American family have lived in one house.

It is believed that Dante stayed in the palazzo during his trip to Rome.  The palace was sacked a few times during various incursions into Rome, but it was protected by a family alliance during the 1527 Sack of Rome, which was actually far worse than the 2019-2024 Sacks of Daniel Jones, although you wouldn't know it from the sky-high yet appropriate levels of bitterness evidenced by Giants fans.

The Colonna Gallery is the main attraction to the palace, but all of the rooms are jaw-dropping. Bernini, Fontana, del Grande and other architects/artisans were heavily involved the building of the palazzo, which took five centuries.  

Among the artists in the mostly 15th and 16th century collection are Pinturicchio, Cosmè Tura, Carracci, Guido Reni, Tintoretto, Salvator Rosa, Bronzino, Guercino, Veronese, Vanvitelli and many others.  

(Editor: Like you know who those artists are!

Writer: I've heard of Pinturicchio and Tintoretto -- so, to paraphrase Meatloaf, two out of ten ain't bad.)

The Galleria is open to the public only on Saturdays from 9 am to 1:15 pm, so get your tickets well in advance.  There are private tours on other days, but I don't think that's for the hoi polloi like Carol, Julia, and I.  During the public hours, there are docents in every room who are happy to answer questions.

Both the inner courtyard and the Colonna Garden on Quirinal Hill are exquisite outdoor spaces worth strolling through and taking it all in.

Photos from Colonna Galleria (most were taken by Maria, some by me):

Chandelier from below.

Maria showed me how to

take this picture -- set the

iPhone on the floor on selfie

mode, set the timer for

ten seconds, and voila!

So I also took a selfie

of the ceiling.

We look like we belong

in one of the ceiling

paintings!

A chandelier close-up.

Venice in Rome!

If I had to choose between

the artwork and the

uniforms, I'd chose

the artwork.

Shot of the main Gallery.

It's a Baroque wonder!

(Editor: No puns based on Going

for Broke?  Writer: No point

in beating a dead horse.)

One of many fine furniture pieces.

A close-up on the incredible work done

to create this glass flower part of the

Murano chandelier.

The Madonna part of the 

Madonna and child painting.