The Palazzo Ranuzzi, also called Palazzo Baciocchi or Palazzo Ruini, is a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style palace in central

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= 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 150 different nat ...

. It is now houses the Court of Appeals of Bologna. The palace was built in the late-1500s, commissioned by the academic and lawyer Carlo Ruini. The palace was extensively rebuilt by the Ranuzzi family, owners from 1679 to 1822, and later by Prince Felice Baciocchi, husband of

Elisa Bonaparte Maria Anna Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi Levoy (French language, French: ''Marie Anne Elisa Bonaparte''; 3 January 1777 – 7 August 1820), better known as Elisa Bonaparte, was an imperial French princess and sister of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte. ...

, sister of Napoleon, and briefly grand-duchess of Tuscany. The city of Bologna bought the palace in 1873, and converted it to use by the courts. Some attribute the original designs to an inspiration, if not plan, by

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...

, with the scenic

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

entrance stairs by

Giuseppe Antonio Torri Giuseppe Antonio Torri (1655 – c. 1713) was an Italian architect of the early 18th century. He was born and died in Bologna, where he was active in a late-Baroque style. His surname is also spelled Tórri. He initially trained with his fat ...

and Giovanni Battista Piacentini. The palace contains statuary by Filippo Balugani. The interior decoration includes works by

Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena Ferdinando Galli-Bibiena (18 August 1657 – 3 January 1743),"Galli-Bibiena, Ferdinando" (dates, Farnese dynasty, to Barcelona for Karl VI),''Encyclopedia of Austria'', 2006, aeiou.iicm.tugraz.at webpag."Ferdinando Galli Bibiena Online" (overview ...

and

Giuseppe Maria Mazza Giuseppe Maria Mazza (13 May 1653 – 6 June 1741) was one of the leading sculptors of Bologna, Italy, in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was trained as a painter, but is best known for his fine sculptural work in terracotta and stucco. ...

. Frescoes were completed in various rooms by painters including

Marco Antonio Franceschini Marcantonio Franceschini (; 1648 – 24 December 1729) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mostly in his native Bologna. He was the father and teacher of Giacomo Franceschini.''The picture collector's manual'' by James R. Hob ...

Giuseppe Giuseppe is the Italian form of the given name Joseph, from Latin Iōsēphus from Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph), from Hebrew יוסף. It is the most common name in Italy and is unique (97%) to it. The feminine form of the name is Giusep ...

and

Antonio Rolli Antonio Rolli or Roli (1643–1695) is an Italian painter active painting quadrature during the Baroque period, mainly in his native Bologna. Biography He trained with Angelo Michele Colonna and worked alongside his brother ''Giuseppe'' or '' ...

Vittorio Bigari Vittorio Bigari (1692 – 1776) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period. Biography He was born in Bologna in 1692. His main biographer was Zanotti. He was initially trained in the art of stucco and sculpture, a pupil of Antonio D ...

Antonio Basoli Antonio Basoli (1774–1848) was an Italian painter, interior designer, scenic designer, and engraver, active mostly in Bologna. Biography He was born in Castel Guelfo. His first teacher was his father, Lelio Andrea Basoli. His education was mot ...

Felice Giani Felice Giani (17 December 1758 – 10 January 1823) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassic style. His grand manner subjects often included Greco-Roman allusions or themes. Biography Born in San Sebastiano Curone near Alessandria, he moved ...

Giovanni Battista Sangiorgi Giovanni Battista Sangiorgi (1784 in Castel Bolognese – 1877) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassical period He trained as a figure painter, and in 1809 collaborated with Antonio Basoli in the decoration of the Teatro Comunale, Bologn ...

, and

Pelagio Palagi Pelagio Palagi (25 May 1775 – 6 March 1860) was an Italian painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Biography Early life Pelagi was born in Bologna. Starting at a very young age the study of perspective, architecture, figurative and po ...

. A major restoration was completed in 1993. Courts of Justice of Bologna
entry on palace. Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Bologna, 1975) - BEIC 6329017.jpg, 17th-century sculpture Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Bologna, 1975) - BEIC 6329018.jpg, 17th-century sculpture Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6339250.jpg, Staircase

References

Houses completed in the 16th century Ranuzzi {{Italy-stub