Palazzo Madama: Seat of the Senate

Map

Palazzo Madama

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Palazzo Madama, the seat of the Senate, was built on top of the ruins of the baths of the emperor Nero (r. 54-68). The palazzo was begun at the end of the 15th century for the Medici family of Florence and completed in 1505. The richly ornate facade was built between 1637 and 1642 by Paolo Marucelli. 

The palazzo takes its name from Madama Margherita of Austria (1522-86), illegitimate daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who married Alessandro de' Medici, the first Duke of Florence, in 1536. 

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Detail of the cornice