Palazzo Ruspoli

Palazzo Ruspoli in Nemi grew from a medieval fortified complex dominated by a tower of about forty metres in Piazza Umberto I.

Why it matters

The palace records Nemi's transition from a fortified settlement to a baronial residence. Its tower, staircase and decorative schemes reflect successive periods of ownership by prominent Roman families.

What to notice

The central tower and surviving lateral tower rise above the main square. The facade combines a rusticated base with painted upper storeys. Inside, a staircase attributed to Giuseppe Valadier and tempera decorations by Liborio Coccetti, completed in 1784, reflect the palace's Neoclassical phase.

Context and history

The fortified complex dates to the ninth or tenth century, with a castle nucleus associated with the Counts of Tuscolo by the twelfth century. The Frangipane converted the fortress into a palace in the sixteenth century. In 1781 the estate passed to the Braschi family, whose remodelling introduced Valadier's staircase and Coccetti's paintings. The Ruspoli family, who gave the building its present name, sold the palace in 1993.