Palazzo Zuccari, Rome

A late 16th-century house in central Rome built by the painter Federico Zuccari, known for a distinctive Mannerist façade and sculpted grotesque decoration. It has since housed an art-history research library.

Commissioned and built by Federico Zuccari in the late 1500s as his house and studio, the building displays several Mannerist architectural and sculptural details linked to Zuccari’s activity as an artist. In the 20th century it became the seat of the Bibliotheca Hertziana, a research institute for art history.

Located in central Rome near the Spanish Steps and Trinità dei Monti, the palazzo sits within the historic core and is visible from nearby streets and viewpoints.

• Grotesque portal: The façade features distinctive sculpted grotesque heads around the main entrance that make the building visually notable from the street.
• Research library: The building houses a major art-history research institute and library; public access is limited and scholarly access is by appointment.

What to See #

• Façade and portal: The ornate Mannerist portal and façade detail famous for sculpted grotesque heads and ornamental stonework that give the building its informal name, the "House of the Monsters."
• Bibliotheca Hertziana: Home to the Bibliotheca Hertziana - Max Planck Institute for Art History, a research library and institute occupying interior spaces and accessible to scholars by appointment.