Palazzo Venezia

Palazzo Venezia Review

Centerpiece of the eponymous piazza, this palace was originally built for Venetian cardinal Pietro Barbo, who became Pope Paul II. It was also the backdrop used by Mussolini to harangue crowds with dreams of empire from the balcony over the main portal. Lights were left on through the night during his reign to suggest that the Fascist leader worked without pause. The palace shows a mixture of Renaissance grace and heavy medieval lines; salons include frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and a Bernini sculpture of Pope Clement X. The caffè on the loggia has a pleasant view over the garden courtyard.