Palazzo Venezia opens the doors of the restoration site: guided tours of the Barbo Apartment

VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia, under the direction of Edith Gabrielli, are launching a series of free guided tours to the restoration site of theBarbo Apartment, a jewel of the Renaissance. A journey into the heart of Renaissance history and art awaits citizens and tourists starting Saturday, Feb. 8. Located on the second floor of the palace overlooking Piazza Venezia, this space still preserves precious original decorations, which have undergone various maintenance interventions over the centuries.

The visits represent a rare opportunity to take a close look at the restoration work, necessitated by the structural consolidation project related to the construction of the new Venezia Station on Rome’s Metro Line C. The initiative is conceived in an open-site perspective, allowing the public to dialogue with specialized operators and discover the process of recovery of architectural and decorative elements of great historical value.

A restoration in the name of preservation

The Barbo Apartment is named after the Venetian cardinal Pietro Barbo, who became pontiff under the name of Paul II. In the 15th century, these rooms housed his collection of glyptics, numismatics and goldsmithing. The work in progress, conducted according to the directives of the Ministry of Culture, concerns in particular the recovery of the painted wooden ceilings, the terracotta and majolica floors and the wall friezes, decorative elements of exceptional value. This phase of intervention is the first of a larger restoration project that in the coming months will involve other areas of the main floor of Palazzo Venezia, including the Monumental Rooms: the Sala del Mappamondo, the Sala Regia and the Sala delle Battaglie.

An experience between art and restoration

Tours begin on Saturday, February 8, and will continue through June on a monthly basis. Each appointment will include four shifts (at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm) with a maximum of eight participants per group. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the rooms accompanied by experts in the field, with the opportunity to climb the scaffolding to view the decorations from an unusual, up-close perspective.

During the first visit, the itinerary will take in the terracotta and majolica floors, painted wooden ceilings and wall friezes of the Parrot Room. The name of this room refers to Paul II’s parrot, a rare and expensive exotic specimen for the time, which accompanied the pontiff to his private rooms. In addition to the Parrot Room, it will be possible to admire the Vestments Room or the Room of the Labors of Hercules, used to receive the most trusted guests. The schedule of subsequent visits includes stops in other rooms of great historical and artistic significance:

March 15, 2025: Hall of the Labors of Hercules or Hall of the Vestments

April 12, 2025: Hall of the World Map

May 17 and June 21, 2025: Royal Hall

Guided tours are free, but reservations are required and can be made by writing to vi-ve.edu@cultura.gov.it. Participants should wear safety shoes provided by the Institute and comfortable clothing to ensure safety while on scaffolding. The initiative is part of the educational activities of VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia, curated by Opera Laboratori Fiorentini, with the aim of bringing the public closer to the historical-artistic heritage and the complex work of conservation.

Palazzo Venezia opens the doors of the restoration site: guided tours of the Barbo Apartment

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