Berlin Coach

The Berlin, invented by Col. Philip de Chiese in Prussia, was named for that country's capital city. It represented a major innovation in carriage construction because of the use of two perches which connected the front transom to the rear axle. The use of double perches reduced the weight and improved the balance and resilience of the undercarriage. The curved or "crane neck" perches allow the front wheel to turn under the body. The whip springs and leather thorough braces improve the suspension of the vehicle and decrease the swinging motion associated with earlier coaches. This coach was sent from France as a gift to a Marchioness Pianetti, who lived in Rome in her Palace, located on the Corso, near Piazza San Carlo. Under Pope Pius IX, the coach was used by Cardinal Gaspare Pianetti, high Prelate of the Pontifical Court. He was for many years Pro-Governor of Rome under the authority of the Pope. Following the Cardinal's death, the coach was inherited by his nephews at their Palace in Jesi (Province of Ancona, on the Adriatic coast). In 1890 it was moved to the Villa San Ubaldo, and later to the Family Palace of Arcevia.