This residence in truth consisted of three, purchased in the XV century by Antonio Pamphilj buildings, found in the southwestern part of Piazza Navona. Their enlargement and modernization took place immediately after the enthronement of Pope Innocent X in 1644. The design was entrusted to Girolamo Rainaldi, who in integrating the buildings belonging to the family, created a uniform and relatively simple palace façade, accentuating its central part with columns on the ground floor and joining it, as if with an additional shaft with the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone. This was to be in the future a private chapel and then a papal mausoleum. Francesco Borromini, the author of a rivaling design, received a commission at that time to create a concept of an oval staircase, the Grand Hall and an imposing gallery stretching through all of the width of the palace. The representative function, which was to be fulfilled by the gallery, combining official chambers with private ones, is best visible after dark, when the illuminated palace interior (Galleria Serliana) on the first floor attracts attention with its spectacular ceiling of which the painting decoration was entrusted to another well-known artist of that time – Pietro da Cortona. The vault frescoes, imposing with their enormity but also artistic quality, tell the story of Aeneas according to Virgil’s Aeneid (The Story of Aeneas), referring in this way to the legendary genealogy of the Pamphilj family, whose members claimed to have originated from the early-Roman priest Numa Pompilius. It must be admitted that the choice of a pagan myth, which was to strengthen the image of the successor of St. Peter seems strange indeed, but then again the pope himself did not have much to say in the matter. The palace was under the protectorate of his sister-in-law, the influential and uncompromising Olimpia Maidalchini, whose ambition was more to elevate the family name in relation to other Roman families than to emphasize papal virtues of the residence owner. It was Olimpia, who in a decisive way influenced both the artistic foundations of Innocent, as well as the pope himself. And it is mainly her that we have to thank for the ideological program of the paintings adorning the palace rooms. In time, she did receive it as a gift from the pope and became its owner and then she really spent a fortune on it and put into effect all her artistic ambitions. She selected and supervised the artists, gave out commissions, and discussed the iconography of each individual chamber. As the most important person in the State of the Church she needed the appropriate setting for the parties and social meetings organized there for the then Roman elites. It was mainly thanks to her that the palace enjoyed a period of its greatest splendor.

The decoration of the rooms arranged in the enfilade, although limited to paintings under the ceilings and painted ceilings, was completed by talented artists of the XVII century. These were Gaspard Dughet, Giacinto Brandi, Giacinto Gimignani, Andrea Camassei, and Francesco Mola. And it was they who decorated each individual room of the palace (Moses, Marine, Bacchus, Landscapes, Oriental, Ovid, Roman History). That religious themes were of no real interest to the owner can be seen for example in the Bacchus Room. The myth illustrated there, which speaks of passion and earthly love is enriched by putti visible in the corners. What do they hold in their small hands? A bishop’s mitre, a cardinal’s galero and finally the papal tiara, which is a reference to the pride of the family – Pope Innocent X, with whom Olimpia experienced both periods of great friendship and bitter rivalry.

After the death of Olimpia in 1657 the palace lost in significance. Her son, Camillo Pamphilj showed no interest in it, caring for his own residence at via del Corso (Palazzo Doria Pamphilj), while subsequent centuries and owners did nothing to change this situation. In the XIX century the family rented the building to the Musical Society. Its traces can be seen in one of the rooms, whose name comes from the composer Pierluigi Palestrina. Reconstructed and modernized it served the purpose of a concert hall for the aforementioned society. Starting in 1920 the palace was rented by the family to the Embassy of Brazil, which finally bought it in 1961 and is still located there.

Currently the palace may be visited after prior arrangements – at least a month before the visit. More information: www.ambasciatadelbrasile.it