The Main Palace in the Villa Ludovisi

On 5 February 1622, Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi—nephew of Pope Gregory XV—bought from the Orsini a large vineyard with palace, to expand to the east his new (1621) garden estate on Rome's Pincian hill.

To create an estate on the Pincio, Cardinal Flavio Orsini (1532-1565-1583) had united two vineyards and built a grand palace, which by 1589 was faced by this piazza, with gardens and a fountain.

In 1589, the young Cardinal Francesco Sforza (1562-1583-1624) bought and improved the property (especially its water supply), but in 1613 sold it back to the Orsini, who resold it (1622) to Ludovisi.

The centerpiece of the piazza north of the Palazzo Grande was a large elliptical fountain. In 1634—right after the death of Cardinal Ludovisi—it received a statue of Triton, still preserved in place.

Already by 1589 the Palazzo Grande was connected to its facing piazza by a bridge, and surrounded by gardens at several levels. These features were lost in a massive expansion of the palace in 1890.

East of the fenced Triton fountain (far right) can be seen a large sycamore tree (still extant), the rear of the main gatehouse (rebuilt 1809) to the Villa, and then the family's 'Casino of Statues'.

In 1622 the architect Carlo Maderno (1556-1629) developed a detailed plan for the Palazzo, perhaps aided by the painter Domenichino; this included an elaborate decorative program for the north facade.

To the northwest of the Palazzo was placed a walled "secret garden" with aviary, and citrus trees were planted beyond—all later (ca. 1889) demolished to make way for the new Via Vittorio Veneto.

Another view west from the Piazza, toward the "secret garden". The profile of the cupola of the Casino Aurora, the second principle building of the Villa, is visible behind the dome of the aviary.

The bridge (now lost) that linked the Piazza to the Palazzo, showing the tracks of carriage wheels. Four "sunken" gardens were placed below the bridge's level, close to the palace's facade and flanks.

A statue restored as the goddess Flora stood before the aviary; in 1890 the sculpture was relocated to top a wall of a newly-built 'Orangerie' that today forms part of the US Embassy.

In 1860 Rodolfo Boncompagni Ludovisi (1832-1911) and his wife Agnese (née Borghese, 1836-1920) moved into the Palazzo, and soon planned changes, realized in 1890 as a massive demolition and expansion.

In 1890 architect Gaetano Koch added a massive block perpendicular to the Palazzo Grande, turning that into a wing of a huge 'Palazzo Piombino' that faced west onto a new Via Veneto.

Prince Rodolfo and Princess Agnese occupied their grand palace on Via Veneto in fall of 1890. But in summer 1892 a perfect storm of financial pressures turned the complex over to the Banca d'italia, and it was later (1900) sold to the Italian state to serve as a palace for Queen Margherita.