The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj is the largest in Rome still in private ownership. The family has its roots in Genoa and have appeared in history under various guises. They fought for the French at the battle of Crécy, led Genoa (Andrea Doria), had the papacy (Innocent X), and were princes of the Holy Roman Empire (Reichsfürst, seen below left). A later descendant became the mayor of Rome after liberation in 1944.
The palazzo reflects the riches gathered along the way. If you are the pope, you need a portrait painted by Velasquez (above right) – and your bust by Bernini (below left). Of course, no self-respecting princely family can be without the mummified corpse of the family saint in the family chapel (below right).
Names hanging on the walls include Rafael, Filippo Lippi, Caravaggio, Titian and Pieter Bruegel, among others. And there are a lot of walls (below).
Of course, a couple of rooms full of antique statues is a must (below left). In the private apartments you need a bathroom with a very large ‘bathtub’ – they hadn’t invented jacuzzi when this was built (below right). To ensure the preservation of these riches, they are managed by a foundation – conveniently, this also keeps any possible future black sheeps of the family from laying their hands on the artistic heritage.
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