Palazzo Colonna

Palazzo Colonna in Marino stands on the site of an earlier Orsini fortress and served as the seat of Colonna power in the town. Since the municipality acquired it in 1916, the palace has also housed the town's civic administration.

Why it matters

The palace's history links Marino to the Colonna family, whose authority shaped the town for centuries. Its construction began in 1532 under Ascanio Colonna and continued through successive generations, reaching completion in 1622. Alongside the Basilica of San Barnaba, the residence represented the family's temporal and religious presence in Marino.

What to notice

The palace faces Piazza Lepanto beside Piazza San Barnaba. Its courtyard contains a quadrangular tower added during the final phase of construction. Interior rooms retain traces of painted decoration attributed to the Zuccari brothers. The building's form reflects its evolution from a fortress into a palatial residence and, later, a civic seat.

Context and history

The Orsini fortress passed to the Colonna family in the late fifteenth century. Agnese di Montefeltro commissioned its transformation, and work began under Ascanio Colonna in 1532. Filippo Colonna completed the palace in 1622, including the courtyard tower. The municipality purchased the building in 1916. It was damaged during the Second World War and reconstructed in the decades that followed.