The Palazzo Corsini is a late-baroque palace in Rome, erected for the Corsini family between 1730 and 1740 as an elaboration of the prior building on the site, a 15th-century villa of the Riario family, based on designs of Ferdinando Fuga. It is located in the Trastevere section of the city, and stands beside the Villa Farnesina.
Description During 1659–1689, the former Riario palace had hosted the eccentric Christina, Queen of Sweden, who abdicated, converted, and moved to Rome. Under her patronage, this was the site for the first meetings of the Roman Accademia dell'Arcadia.
In 1736, the Florentine Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini, nephew of Pope Clement XII (formerly Cardinal Lorenzo Corsini), acquired the villa and land, and commissioned the structure now standing. During the Napoleonic occupation of Rome, the palace hosted Joseph Bonaparte.
Today, the palace hosts some offices of the National Academy of Science () and the Galleria Corsini. The gardens, which rise up the Janiculum hill, are part of the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza", a botanical garden. This also, is not the sole Palazzo Corsini in Italy; there are a handful of palaces belonging to various lines of this Florentine family, which acquired and built this Roman palace, sometime referred to as Palazzo Corsini alla Lungara only upon the ascension of their family member to the papacy. Another Corsini palace of note include the Palazzo Corsini al Parione, facing the banks of the Arno in Florence.
Galleria Corsini
The Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica di Palazzo Corsini or National Gallery of Antique Art in the Corsini Palace is a prominent art museum comprising the first floor of the palace. The national Arte Antica collections (typically post-year 1000 A.D.) in Rome consist of a number of sites, including Palazzo Barberini, Galleria Borghese, and the Palazzo Corsini.
The majority of the major works in the Corsini Gallery collection were donated by the Corsini family, and initially were gathered by the avid 17th century collector, the cardinal Neri Maria Corsini, and added to by other members and from collections of Pope Clement XII and his nephew. In 1883, this palace and its contents were sold to the state, and the collection is displayed in its original location. The collection encompasses the breadth of mainly Italian art from early-Renaissance to late-18th century. It has both religious and historical works, as well as landscapes and genre paintings.
Partial list of collection PainterSpanWorkLinkBeato AngelicoPentecost, Ascension, and Last JudgementCavalier d'Arpino1560–1640Resurrection of LazarusJacopo Bassano1515–1592Adoration of the shepherdsMarco Benefial1684–1786Vision of Santa Catherine of GenoaAnnibale Carracci1560–1609St. FrancisCaravaggioSt. John the Baptist, c. 1600Marten van CleefRural festivity Donato Creti1671–1749Adoration by the MagiDonato Creti1671–1749Vision of JacobCristoph van Der LamenThe rescueAnthony van Dyck1599–1641Madonna della PagliaMarcantonio Franceschini1648–1729Ascension of the MagdalenFrancesco Francia1450–1517St. George and the dragonOrazio Gentileschi1563–1646 Madonna and childLuca Giordano1634–1705Christ before the doctorsLuca Giordano1634–1705Entry of Christ to JerusalemGuercino1591–1666Apollo and MarysasHans HoffmannThe Leper Angelica KauffmanPortraitGiovanni LanfrancoSt. Peter and St. AgathaGiovanni Lanfranco1582–1647Ascension of the MagdalenGiovanni Lanfranco1582–1647Tamar and JudithMaster del Solomon's JudgementDenial by PeterCarlo Maratta1625–1713Madonna with the Bambino Carlo Maratta1625–1713Young St John the Baptist & Angels Carlo Maratta1625–1713TrinityCarlo Maratta1625–1713Martyrdom of St. AndrewCarlo Maratta1625–1713Rebecca at the wellCarlo Maratta1625–1713Flight to Egypt Agostino Masucci1690–1768Pier Francesco Mola1612–1666Homer Bartolomé Esteban MurilloMadonna with the BambinoGiovanni Battista Piazzetta1682–1754Judith Nicolas PoussinTriumph of Ovid Mattia Preti1613–1699Tribute of gold Mattia Preti1613–1699San Bartolomeo Guido Reni1575–1642Portrait of Beatrice Cenci Guido Reni1575–1642Magdalen Guido Reni1575–1642Ecce Homo Guido Reni1575–1642Salomè with head of the Baptist, St. Joseph and Christ crowned with thornsGuido Reni1575–1642HerodGuido Reni1575–1642St. JosephJusepe de RiberaVenus and dead AdonisGiovan Francesco Romanelli1610–1662Adoration by the MagiGiovan Francesco Romanelli1610–1662Adoration by the ShepherdsTheodor Rombouts 1597–1637Concert Salvator Rosa1615–1673Peter Paul Rubens1577–1640St. Sebastian healed by angelsGiovanni Battista Salvi (Sassoferrato) 1605–1685Andrea del Sarto 1486–1531Madonna with the BambinoBartolomeo Schedoni 1578–1615Johann Heinrich Schonfeld 1609–1683 Agostino Scilla1629-1700Still Life with Fish and CrustaceansGerard Seghers 1591–1651Massimo Stanzione 1585–1656Nicolas Tournier1590–1657 Francesco TrevisaniMartyrdom of St. LawrenceFrancesco TrevisaniMartyrdom of St. LucyFrancesco TrevisaniThe Virgin grievingFrancesco Trevisani MagdalenLucas Van Uder1595–1672 Gaspar Van Wittel1595–1672 Simon Vouet Herod Philips Wouwerman1619–1668
Sources
Palazzo Corsini Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, hosted in the Palazzo Corsini and neighboring Villa Farnesina. Romecity entry
External links Official webpage of Palazzo Corsini Interactive Nolli Map Website