Palazzo Magnani, Italy

Palazzo Magnani is a palace in Bologna, Italy, built by the noble family with the same name.

Construction on the palace began in 1577 under architect Domenico Tibaldi, who was replaced by Floriano Ambrosini in 1583 upon on his death. In 1797 the palace became a property of the Guidotti family.In the late 19th century they sold it to the Malvezzi Campeggi family whose coat of arms is still visible on the façade. Later Palazzo Magnani was inhabited by the Salem family, and it is currently the seat of the Unicredit Bank.

Among the most important artworks in the interior is the frescoed frieze of Histories of the Foundation of Rome executed in 1590 by the brothers Ludovico, Annibale and Agostino Carracci in the salone on the piano nobile. Also notable is the monumental chimney by Ambrosini, decorated by statues of Minerva and Mars by Gabriele Fiorini, and surmounted by the Lupercalia by Annibale Carracci. In the inner courtyard is a statue of "Hercules" whose face is that of Lorenzo Magnani, who had commissioned the Carracci’s frieze.

This splendid coat of arms belongs to the Magnani family who rose to prominence in the 16th century.

The grand palazzo was commissioned by Lorenzo Magnani to behove his family’s social and political ambitions. The architecture Domenico Tibaldi worked on it from 1577 until his death in 1583. His mantle was taken up by Floriano Ambrosiani and completed in 1592.

Upstairs on the first floor is the ‘Room of Honour’ and quite easily one of the most spectacularly decorated rooms in Bologna. At the end of 1580s the young Carraci artists, Ludovico, Annibale and Agostino were commissioned to paint what was to become a legendary frieze of fresco paintings concerning the ‘History of Rome’ and patterned on the Latin texts by Livy and Plutarch.

This magnificent fireplace was designed by Ambrosini with ornamentation by Gabriele Fiorini. The painting above it is called ‘Lupercalia’ by the Caracci school. At the moment this room is used for conferences by the Uni Credit Bank, who owns the building. In fact, its previous owner in 1996 was also a bank called Rolo Bank 1473.

The Carraci cycle of frescoes relating to mythical figures from Rome illustrates the equilibrium of man and nature that informed the works of Classical Antiquity. The canon Carlo Cesare Malvasia noted that the three painters achieved another significant victory here and that was that each of their contribution was executed subtly and without seeking individual acclaim for specific areas. In effect, he was lauding their simple effort to work as a team.