Palazzo Gualterio 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 ...

aristocratic palace located diagonal across Corso Cavour from the Torre del Moro in

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 Province of Terni, Italy. The palace is flanked on three sides by Via del Duomo, Corso Cavour, and Via dei Gualteri, with facades on the both the latter two streets. The main portal on Corso Cavour, located on number 72, is inscribed with the name of Trivulzio Gualterio. The original portal on the southern facade was exchanged for the Mannerist-style main portal of the Palazzo Buzi on Via Postierla in Orvieto. This portal, now in Palazzo Gualterio, was designed by

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 ...

History

The palace was built in the mid-1500s by the aristocrats Raffaele and Felice Gualterio, who commissioned a design from Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. Construction was completed by

Simone Mosca Simone Mosca (1492–1554) was an Italian sculptor who was born in Settignano (part of Florence). His sons were sculptors Francesco Mosca, called ''Il Moschino'' (ca. 1531-1578) and Simone Simoncelli, also known as ''Simone Moschino'' (1533-1 ...

. The historian, patriot and senator Filippo Antonio Gualterio, who died in 1874, was the last of the family to live there. The ownership briefly passed to the Misciatelli family. The palace was acquired by the Banco di Roma, while objects of art were transferred to the museum and halls of the Town Hall of Orvieto, where there are still preserved. A British guide of Italy from stated the palace contained an interesting collection of

cartoons by
Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoem ...
,
Annibale Caracci Annibale Carracci (; November 3, 1560 – July 15, 1609) was an Italians, Italian painter and instructor, active in Bologna and later in Rome. Along with the Carracci, his brother and cousin, Annibale was one of the progenitors, if not founders of ...
,
Baldassare Franceschini Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano after his birth place Volterra and, to distinguish him from Ricciarelli, Il Volterrano Giuniore (16116 January 1689) was an Italian late Baroque painter and draughtsman active principally around Flo ...
,
Francesco Albani Francesco Albani or Albano (17 March or 17 August 1578 – 4 October 1660) was an Italian Baroque painter who was active in Bologna (1591–1600), Rome (1600–1609), Bologna (1609), Viterbo (1609–1610), Bologna (1610), Rome (1610–1617), ...
, and others, which the owner liberally permits strangers to visit. In the 1st room are 2 battlepieces by Franceschini, designed for Genoa. In the 2nd is a ''Temperance'' by Domenichino, and (other works). In the 3rd room, ''Mars'' by Caracci; and ''Joseph's Dream'', by Carlo Cignani. In the 4th are ''Fame and History'', by
Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoem ...
. In the chapel adjoining is a beautiful fresco of the ''Archangel Michael'', removed from its original position, and attributed to Luca Signorelli. It has been restored in parts by Professor Cornelius of Munich. In the 5th room are ''Fame, History, and Fidelity'', by Domenichino; ''Love and Venus'', and ''Love and Hymen'', by Albani. In the 6th room is a series illustrating various events in the ''Life of St Catherine of Siena'', by Caracci. On the roof of another room is a fresco of ''Endymion sleeping and surprised by Diana'', said to be by
Gherardo della Notte Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickname ''Gherardo delle Notti' ...
. In the gallery is a damaged ''Deposition'', by Baroccio; and 2 (portait busts), said to be by Titian.

The final attribution and disposition of these works is unclear.''A Handbook for Travellers in Central Italy: Southern Tuscany and Papal States'', Part 1
by John Murray (Firm), Albermarle St, London (1857); page 157.

References

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