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Following the successful illumination at Palazzo Aeronautica, ENEL X and Griven once again together for the impressive enhancement of the symbol of the Italian Government, PALAZZO CHIGI

Located in the historic Campus Martius district, Palazzo Chigi is a Renaissance palace nowadays residence of the Prime Minister and seat of the Italian Government. Commissioned by the prestigious Aldobrandini’s family, the palace was built in the second half of the 16th century under the supervision of the architect and sculptor Giacomo della Porta. Completed in 1580, Palazzo Chigi, which still bears the name of the influential Florentine family that acquired it in 1659, underwent by that time significant modifications that led to its present architectural layout.

Initially designated as a private residence, in the course of history Palazzo Chigi has changed its purpose several times according to its different owners’ needs.  For the first few centuries, it was mainly home to important families of Papal Rome. Towards the end of the 18th century, it was mostly used as the Spanish embassy’s headquarters in Rome. In 1878 it was the official residence of the Ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, becoming headquarters of the Minister of Colonial Affairs during World War One in 1916. After its final renovation promoted by the Italian State in 1922, it has housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for almost 40 years. Since 1961 it is the official seat of the Italian Prime Minister and of the Council of Ministers.

Palazzo Chigi, with its central and prestigious location in the heart of classical Rome, overlooks via del Corso and Piazza Colonna, taking its name from the two-thousand-year-old column of Marcus Aurelius which stands right in its centre. The clean design of the five-story structure typical of the Renaissance period features a grand staircase and an internal courtyard embellished by Giacomo della Porta’s fountain. The heritage of the Chigi family is still visible in the opulence of the applied, decorative, and fine arts collections displayed in the rooms of the palace. The precious pieces of furniture, paintings, and sculptures are a symbol of the political influence of the rich Chigi family at the time they owned the palace. The building is nowadays opened to visits, but only certain rooms and sections of it are actually accessible to the public.