Palazzo Buzi is a

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

palace located on Via Postierla #9 on Piazza Marconi in the historic center of

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

in the region of

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, Italy. The palace stands next to the San Bernardino, and has been recently used as an inn (Villa Mercede) inside a monastery, administered by

Mercedarians The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives ( la, Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede Redemptionis Captivorum, abbreviated O. de M.), also known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order es ...

, or nuns of the Order of Mercy. The site was originally occupied by a home and tower belonging to the Ghibelline Filippeschi family, it was likely confiscated in 1281 by the Guelph Bishop Francesco

Monaldeschi The House of Monaldeschi was one of the powerful noble families of Orvieto, central Italy, members of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, Guelph party who contested with murders and violence the Ghibelline Filippeschi for control of the medieval commune, ...

, and used by him as a residence. The nuns of the adjacent nunnery of San Bernardino acquired the site, probably in the 16th century. In 1581, Vicenzo Buzi, wealthy aristocrat, bought the vineyard and orchards here from the nuns of San Bernardino, and commissioned

Ippolito Scalza Ippolito or Eppolito is an Italian surname and given name, and the Italian form of the name of Saint Hippolytus of Rome. It may refer to: Given name * Ippolito Adobrandini, birth name of Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605) * Ippolito Aldobrandini (card ...

to build this palace on the site. By the end of the 18th century, the Gualterio family became owners of the palace. They exchanged the highly decorated Mannerist-style stone portal from this palace with the simpler portal from the facade of

Palazzo Gualterio Palazzo Gualterio is a Renaissance architecture aristocratic palace located diagonal across Corso Cavour from the Torre del Moro in Orvieto in the Province of Terni, Italy. The palace is flanked on three sides by Via del Duomo, Corso Cavour, and V ...

on on Via del Duomo. The palace was purchased in 1899 by the Padri Mercedari, who still own it. The main floor of the palace was originally decorated circa 1585 with frescoes depicting Mythologic and Old testament themes by

Cesare Nebbia Cesare Nebbia (c.1536–c.1614) was an Italian painter from Orvieto who painted in a Mannerism, Mannerist style. Biography Nebbia was born in Orvieto. He trained with Girolamo Muziano, and under this master, he helped complete a flurry of de ...

and Giovanni Battista Lombardelli, but some were replaced by 19th century frescoes by Mariano Piervittori. The area is used as a chapel by the friars.Key to Umbria
entry, by Lynda Evans.

References

Palaces in Orvieto Renaissance architecture in Umbria {{palace-stub