Palazzo Spada

Palazzo Spada is a 16th- and 17th-century palace in central Rome that houses the Galleria Spada. It is best known for its Baroque interiors and a famous forced-perspective architectural feature.

The Galleria Spada presents a compact collection of 16th- and 17th-century paintings and sculptures arranged in the palace’s state rooms. A short Baroque colonnade by Francesco Borromini creates a forced-perspective effect that makes a brief outdoor passage appear significantly longer than it really is.

The building was remodeled and redecorated in the 17th century under the ownership of Cardinal Bernardino Spada, who established the collection. Baroque architects and artists contributed the palace’s interior decoration and the perspective colonnade.

Located in the Campo Marzio area of central Rome, the palazzo sits close to Piazza Capo di Ferro and within walking distance of other central sites such as Piazza Navona.

• Forced-perspective gallery: The Borromini perspective gallery is an architectural optical illusion that compresses space using a stepped floor and diminishing columns.
• Compact art collection: The gallery displays a collection of Baroque and Mannerist paintings in a small, easily visited museum setting.

What to See #

• Galleria Spada: A compact gallery housing a collection of 16th- and 17th-century paintings and sculptures, arranged in the palace's formal rooms.
• Borromini's perspective gallery: A short Baroque colonnade designed by Francesco Borromini that uses forced perspective to make a short passage appear much longer.