200 Views of Rome: Zuccari Palace

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4 Stars




That 4th star might be sheer sentimentality, or the lack of a fifth sour grapes.

I'd heard of this more or less Mannerist monster house decades ago. The door is a giant face, and the windows are too. They are all big Mannerist monstrous faces! Keen to see it some 13 or so years ago we popped over- it's in the area around the top of the Spanish Steps- and found it was all wrapped up for repairs. Foiled!

So a couple years later we went to Rome again, and we headed to Zuccari Palace all a twitter with trepidation. ARRRRRGGHHH! They were still working on it. That's a lot of work.

So we waited a decade, just to make sure. Well, there were other reasons, but the important point is this is exactly how it worked out. Once we were there we walked on over, and...

Boy, I bet you are on the edge of your seat!

Even I, knowing how it all turns out, am trembling in anticipation.

And...

It was okay! We could see it!

It was, you know, nice.

I mean, it was complicated. Like if, ignorant, we accidentally came upon it it would have been marvelously delightful. Informed and making three attempts in 13 years it was slightly... less... so.

But, since reading this, you would be in the same boat in terms of preparedness, I must say that mainly the doorway is neat, with its gaping mouth housing a wooden door, and there's something charming how they were messing about with this sort of whimsy four or so hundred years ago. But alas, the building itself, though nice, isn't terribly interesting (just the outside. I'm not sure what it would take to get inside), and really it's one of those things where they needed to go all out with their concept for it to be really special. As it is it's just a few fun features on the side of an old building.

But I will finally add this: After all those years of repair it is indeed a building in fabulous condition!