Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne Palace

Address: Piazza di Campo de’ Fiori / Via delle Zoccolette area, Rome (exact address varies)

Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne is a Renaissance palace in central Rome, built for the princely Massimo family in the 16th century. It is best known for its curved façade that adapts to the shape of the street.

The palace’s main visual highlight is the concave travertine façade which follows the irregular plan of the underlying site; the building also contains an inner courtyard and a sequence of noble rooms typical of urban palaces of the period. The structure occupies a prominent position in Rome’s historic centre and is frequently mentioned in studies of Renaissance urban design.

The palace was commissioned by the Massimo family and executed in the 1530s under the direction of Baldassare Peruzzi. Over subsequent centuries it remained a private noble residence and part of Rome’s built fabric of Renaissance palaces.

It sits in the historic core of Rome on a principal urban thoroughfare, in the area of the ancient Capitoline and Republican-era remains in the city centre.

• Architect and date: Designed by architect Baldassare Peruzzi in the 1530s for the Massimo family, it is a well-known example of Renaissance urban palace architecture in central Rome.
• Distinctive façade: The building occupies a constrained urban plot and its curved travertine façade is often noted in architectural guides as a distinctive solution to the irregular street geometry.

What to See#

• Curved façade: The palace is noted for its curved Renaissance façade which follows the shape of the irregular site and street line, a distinctive solution in urban Rome.
• Interior courtyard and state rooms: An internal courtyard and sequence of noble rooms reflect the building’s function as a 16th-century family residence for the Massimo family.

Palazzo Massimo alle Colonne is in central Rome near the area between the Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia. Walk from Teatro di Marcello or take Metro Line B to Colosseo and then a 10-15 minute walk; many bus routes also run nearby.

• Look up along the building's curved façade - Peruzzi's handling of light and shadow rewards close observation.
• The palazzo is a living building (still used) so ask politely before photographing interior spaces.
• Combine a visit with the nearby Teatro Marcello and a walk toward the Tiber; the neighbourhood has fewer tourists than the nearby Forum area.