The Palazzo Leoni is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

style palace located on Via Marsala #31, in front of the outlet of Via Mentana, in central

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

, region of

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

, Italy. The apse of the church of San Martino, is across the street.

History

The site was acquired in 1549 by Camillo Leoni Nordoli, and construction began by 1569 until 1583, commissioned by Camillo's brother Girolamo. The house was inherited by Girolamo's son, Vincenzo (1523-1600), who commissioned much of the fresco decoration. Vincenzo served as president of the ''Accademia degli Ardenti''. The architect is unknown, but some details suggest

Antonio Morandi Antonio Morandi, also called ''Il Terribilia'' (1508 – 1568) was an Italian architect of the late-Renaissance period. He was born and died in Bologna, and was active there. He helped reconstruct San Procolo (1535-1557) and San Giacomo Maggiore ...

, known as ''il Terribilia'', while other attribute it to Gerolamo da Treviso. The interior frescoes mainly date from the late

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

period. Previously a fresco of the ''Nativity'' (circa 1550), painted by Nicolò dell’Abate, was located in the entrance. But now only an engraving of a much repainted version exists by

Gaetano Gandolfi Gaetano Gandolfi (31 August 1734 – 20 June 1802) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque and early Neoclassic period, active in Bologna. Career Gaetano was born in San Matteo della Decima, near Bologna, to a family of artists. Ubaldo ...

. The frescoes in the main floor rooms are attributed to the studio or followers of Nicolò dell’Abate, and depict events from the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

and the Classical Roman epic of

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of th ...

. The panels in the main salon include: *The conversation of

Capys In Roman mythology, Roman and Greek mythology, Capys (; Ancient Greek: Κάπυς) was a name attributed to three individuals: *Capys of Dardania, Capys, king of Dardania (Troas), Dardania.Virgil, ''Aeneid'2.35/ref> *Capys, the Troy, Trojan who wa ...

and Themiste *

Sinon In Greek mythology, Sinon (Ancient Greek: Σίνων, from the verb "σίνομαι"—''sinomai'', "to harm, to hurt") or Sinopos, was a Greek warrior during the Trojan War. Family Sinon was the son of Aesimus, son of Autolycus. He was the ...

is brought before Priam *

Laocoön Laocoön (; grc, , Laokóōn, , gen.: ), is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology and the Epic Cycle. Laocoon was a Trojan priest. He and his two young sons were attacked by giant serpents, sent by the gods. The story of Laocoön has been the su ...

and his sons killed by Sea Serpents *Wooden Horse enters

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

*Greek army pierces Gates of Troy *

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

visited in a dream by the ghost of Hector, prepares for Battle *Aeneas meets Panto; Corebo wearing the Helmet of Androgeus *

Cassandra Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be belie ...

dragged out of the Temple of Minerva *Aeneas, Iphitus, and Pelias Run to defend Priam *

Hecuba Hecuba (; also Hecabe; grc, Ἑκάβη, Hekábē, ) was a queen in Greek mythology, the wife of King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War. Description Hecuba was described by the chronicler Malalas in his account of the ''Chronography'' as "da ...

leads Priam to the hearth altar * Pyrrhus kills Polites *Venus asks Aeneas to spare Helen's life *Omens persuade Anchises, father of Aeneas, to abandon Troy *The escape from Troy The Anteroom has twelve scenes from the Aeneid, the first two scenes are now lost, but known from engravings: #

Dido Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...

confides in her sister Anna #Dido sacrifices to the Gods #Dido shows the city to Aeneas #Conversation between Juno and Venus #The Hunt #Dido and Aeneas in the cave #Fame divulges the marriage of Aeneas and Dido to

Iarbas Iarbas (or Hiarbas) was a Roman mythological character, who has appeared in works by various authors including Ovid and Virgil. The character is possibly based on a historical king of Numidia. In Roman mythology, Iarbas was the son of Jupiter H ...

, the king of Gaetulia, and Dido's rejected suitor #Mercury orders Aeneas to leave Carthage #Aeneas tells his companions to plan for leaving #Trojans prepare to sail from Carthage #Anna pleads with Aeneas not to leave #Mercury appears to Aeneas in a dream In 1709, with the death of the last male Leoni, the palace was inherited by Count Pier Paolo Malvezzi Locatelli, who had married Maria Caterina Leoni. One of his sons was the cardinal Vincenzo Malvezzi Locatelli, who became president of the Accademia Filarmonica. During the 1600s, the upper salon was used for meetings and performances by the Accademia dei Ravvivati, founded by

Francesco Albergati Capacelli Francesco Albergati Capacelli (19 April 1728 – 16 March 1804) was an Italian writer and playwright. Albergati was born in Bologna, where he was a marquess and senator and an important administrator. He led a stormy personal life and was ...

. In the 18th through 19th century, the palace had a number of owners from the painter Giuseppe Sedazzi, to the Marchesini family and finally to the

Collegio di Spagna The Collegio di Spagna (Royal Spanish College or Royal College of Spain in Bologna) (officially ''Real Colegio Mayor de San Clemente de los Españoles'') is a college for Spanish students at the University of Bologna, Italy, which has been functi ...

. The palace in 2011 was used by the Institute of Beni Culturali as a library.Bologna Today
article October 2011.

References

Anton W.A. Boschloo, Il fregio dipinto a Bologna da Nicolò dell'Abate ai Carracci (1550-1580), Bologna, Nuova Alfa Editoriale, 1984, pp. 37–44, 82-83; Jan de Jong, "Locus plenus Troiani laboris". Gli affreschi di Enea a Palazzo Leoni a Bologna, in Studi Belgi e Olandesi per il IX centenario dell'Alma Mater Bolognese, Bologna, Edizioni Luigi Parma, 1990, pp. 35–48; Elisabetta Landi, Giuseppina Tonet,Libri a Palazzo. Una sede ritrovata per la Biblioteca dell'IBC, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2011, pp. 188 (monograph on Palazzo Leoni) {{DEFAULTSORT:Leoni Houses completed in 1583 Palaces in Bologna Renaissance architecture in Bologna