Palazzo Núñez-Torlonia is a palace in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, the current home of the

Torlonia family 200px, Coat of arms of the House of Torlonia. The House of Torlonia is the name of an Italian princely family from Rome, which acquired a huge fortune in the 18th and 19th centuries through administering the finances of the Vatican. The first influ ...

About

The palace was built in 1660 by

Giovanni Antonio De Rossi Giovanni Antonio de' Rossi (1616–1695) was an Italian architect of the Baroque period, active mainly in Rome. Life He was a contemporary of Carlo Rainaldi. In 1657, he completed the sacristy of Tivoli Cathedral. That same year, he designed the ...

for the

marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

Francisco Nuñez–Sánchez. In 1806 the palace was acquired by prince

Lucien Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (born Luciano Buonaparte; 21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), was French politician and diplomat of the French Revolution and the Consulate. He served as Minister of the Interior from 1799 to 1800 ...

, brother of the Emperor

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. The latter's mother,

Letizia Ramolino Maria-Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino; 24 August 1750 (or 1749) – 2 February 1836), known as Letizia Bonaparte, was a Corsican noblewoman, mother of Napoleon I of France. She became known as “” after the proclamation of the Empire. She ...

and his brother Prince

Jérôme Bonaparte Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte (born Girolamo Buonaparte; 15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon I and reigned as Jerome Napoleon I (formally Hieronymus Napoleon in German), King of Westphalia, between 1807 and 1 ...

lived also here. In 1842 the palace was acquired by Prince

Marino Torlonia Marino, Mariño or Maryino may refer to: Places * Marino, Lazio, a town in the province of Rome, Italy * Marino, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide ** Marino Conservation Park ** Marino Rocks Greenway, a cycling route ** Marino Rocks railway ...

, who commissioned the restoration to Antonio Sarti, extending the front over Via Bocca di Leone. For some time the space in the front of the palace was called Torlonia Square. In front of the entrance is the Torlonia Fountain. It consists of an ancient Roman sarcophagus resting on lion paws. Above the sarcophagus a mask pours water, which comes out of two taps in the base and flows, into a semicircular marble pond with two small columns. The fountain is inserted within an architectural element with side pillars, surmounted by an arch with the coat of arms of the Torlonia family between two lions rampant. An inscription below the arch commemorates the building of the fountain at the expense of duke Marino Torlonia in an area that belonged to him.

Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince of Civitella-Cesi (7 December 1911 – 1 May/12 May 1986) was an Italian banking heir and a member of the House of Torlonia. About Born in Rome on 7 December 1911, Torlonia was the son of Marino Torloni ...

, lived in the palace from the time of his marriage with the

Infanta Beatriz of Spain Infanta Beatriz of Spain, Princess of Civitella-Cesi (''Beatriz Isabel Federica Alfonsa Eugénie Cristina Maria Teresia Bienvenida Ladislàa de Borbón y Battenberg''; 22 June 1909 – 22 November 2002) was a daughter of King Alfonso XIII of Spain ...

until his death in 1986. At that time the owners of the Palace were the Prince Alessandro Torlonia and his two sisters the princess Donna Cristiana Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi (who died in 1970) and princess

Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi Donna Marina Torlonia dei Principi di Civitella-Cesi (22 October 1916 – 15 September 1960) was an Italian-American Aristocracy (class), aristocrat, best known as the paternal grandmother of the actress and model Brooke Shields. Family Torloni ...

(who died in 1960). After Alessandro's death, Beatriz sold her part to her son-in-law Paul Annik Weiller (the father of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg) and

Francis Alexander Shields Francis Alexander Shields Jr. (May 16, 1941 – April 25, 2003) was an American businessman and an executive at Revlon in New York City. He was the father of actress Brooke Shields. Early life Shields was born in New York City. He was the e ...

(the son of princess

and father of actress Brooke Shields), sold his part to the architect Renato Bocchi. Later Paul Annik Weiller also sold to Bocchi his part with a condition that princess Beatriz Torlonia could remain in the palace until her death. The palace today belongs to a Japanese group and the family Torlonia has many apartments. Beatriz of Spain died here in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palazzo Nunez-Torlonia Nunez-Torlonia Buildings and structures completed in 1660