Piazza di Montecitorio
Historical Center
- Location: Piazza di Montecitorio
- Address: Piazza di Monte Citorito
- Visit lasts: 1 hour (about)
- Services:
The building which dominates the piazza, built under Cardinal Niccolò Gaddi at the start of the 1500s, was purchased in 1571 by another cardinal, Perdonato Cesi, who had it renovated by Martino Longhi il Vecchio, and then, in 1584, by Cardinal Giulio Antonio Sartorio. In 1653, it was taken over by Prince Nicolò Ludovisi, nephew of Pope Innocent X, who commissioned Bernini to do renovations. At the end of the 1600s, Carlo Fontana adapted it to be the home of the State Tribunal for Innocence XII. It has been home to the Chamber of Deputies since 1871.
The obelisk in the piazza is from the era of Pharoah Psammetichus II (594-589 B.C.), which Augustus had brought from Heliopolis and placed in Campus Martius to act as a sundial. It was Pope Pius VI that brought it to its current home.
The obelisk in the piazza is from the era of Pharoah Psammetichus II (594-589 B.C.), which Augustus had brought from Heliopolis and placed in Campus Martius to act as a sundial. It was Pope Pius VI that brought it to its current home.
