The 'Talking' Palaces
​of Rome

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Palazzo Coppedè a Via Veneto

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At the corner of Via Veneto and Via di San Basilio stands the Palazzo Coppedè a Via Veneto, the last work of the Florentine architect Gino Coppedè (1866-1927). Its facade sports a number of inscriptions in Latin, which has led to it being called the Palazzo Parlante (The Talking Palace). It is by no means unique. The facades of hundreds of palazzi, the length and breadth of Rome, sport inscriptions in Latin.

Palazzo Coppede a Via Veneto

A long inscription on the facade facing Via Veneto proclaims: ROMANIS QVINTO AB RENOVATIS FASCIBVS ANNO VRBIS AD ORNATVM EST AEDIFICATA DOMVS (In the fifth year of the fascist era the house was built for the embellishment of the city}.

The shorter inscriptions take the form of mottoes, such as: ROMA LENIA QVIA AETERNA (Rome is slow because it is eternal), BONI VICINI ADSINT MALI ABSINT (Let good neighbours be present and bad neighbours far away) and TEMPORA TEMPORE TEMPERA (Temper time with time). ​

Palazzo dell' INA

Most of the buildings were erected after 1871, the year Rome became the capital of Italy, and as such lie outside the centro storico. There are, however, exceptions.

Directly opposite the church of Sant' Andrea della Valle, a stone's throw from the Piazza Navona, stands the Palazzo dell' INA, which was erected in 1937. The inscription proclaims: ITALIAE FINES PROMOVIT BELLICA VIRTVS / ET NOVVS IN NOSTRA FVNDITVR VRBE DECOR / ANNO DOMINI MCMXXXVII IMPERII PRIMO (The virtue of war advanced Italy’s borders and a new beauty takes shape in our city. The year of our Lord 1937, the first of the empire). On May 9th 1936, Benito Mussolini announced the annexation of Ethiopia, which signalled the rebirth of the empire (la rinascita dell' impero). 

Vicolo della Palomba 15

In the centro storico there are also a few buildings that sport inscriptions in Latin. In Vicolo della Palomba, for instance, there is a 15th century palazzo which sports two: I · VIA · VIRTVTI · NVLLA · E · VIA (No path to virtue is barred) and  DENIQ · NO · OES · EADE · MIRATVR (Not everybody admires the same things). The first saying is from Ovid, the second Horace.  

Palazzo Cardelli

Above the entrance to the 16th century Palazzo Cardelli, in Vicolo delle Grotte (20-22), is the inscription: INTRA FORTVNAM MANENDVM (One must remain within the bounds of fortune). In other words, don't bite off more than you can chew.  

Palazzo Teutonico di Santa Maria dell' Anima

A short distance away, in Via Monte della Farina, stands the 19th century Palazzo Teutonico di Santa Maria dell' Anima. The long inscription on the facade states: HEIC · UBI · IGNOBILES · NUPER · TABERNAE · RUDERA · PREMEBANT · PORTICUS · CN · POMPEII · CUI · CONTINENS · ERAT · CURIA · C · IUL · CAESARIS · NECE · INSIGNIS · SODALITAS · TEUTONUM · DE · ANIMA · NOBILIORES · HAS AEDES · EXSTRUENDAS · CURAVIT · ANNO · AB · URBE · CONDITA · MMDCXLVI · ANNO · DOMINI · MDCCCXCIII. 

The inscription refers to the insalubrious taverns which covered the ruins of the portico of Gnaeus Pompey and of the Curia in which Gaius Julius Caesar was killed. Once these were demolished, the illustrious Company of the Teutons of Santa Maria dell' Anima had this building erected 2646 years from the foundation of Rome, in the year of the Lord 1893.

Via di San Macello

There is a charming inscription above the entrance to a building in Via di San Macello: LAETE INEUNTIBUS LAETOR (They who enter happy make the owner even happier). 

Palazzo del Bufalo

The inscription above the entrance to Palazzo del Bufalo, in Via del Nazareno, is the Bufalo family's motto: CUM FERIS FERUS (We meet force with force). 

Via di Monserrato 117

Via di Monserrato 117: TRAHIT SVA QVEMQ VOLVPTAS (Each is attracted to what he/she likes). 

Via di Monte Giordano 7

Via di Monte Giordano 7: · VNDE · EO · OMNIA · (All things return to where they come from).

House of Lorenzo Manilio

The prize for the longest inscription in the centro storico must go to the 15th century Casa di Lorenzo Manilio, in what was once the Jewish Ghetto. The inscription, which extends across the facade for more than 21 metres, reads: VRBE ROMA IN PRISTINAM FORMA(m) (r)ENASCENTE LAVR. MANLIUS KARITATE ERGA PATRI(am) (a)EDIS SVO NOMINE MANLIANAS PRO FORT(un)AR(um) MEDIOCRITATE AD FOR(um) IVDEOR(um) SIBI POSTERISQ(ue) SVIS A FVND(amentis) P(osuit) AB VRB(e) CON(dita) MMCCXXI L AN(no) M(ense) III D(ie) II P(osuit) XI CAL(endas) AVG(ustas). 

​It can be roughly translated as: In the city of Rome, now being reborn in its former glory, Lorenzo Manilio built this house in the Jewish quarter as a token of love for his city and within the limit of his modest means. This house for him and his heirs was begun on the 11th day after the calends of August in the 2,221st year from the foundation of the city, when Lorenzo was 50 years, 3 months and two days old. (The date corresponds to the year 1468.)

Casa dei Vallati

A short distance away in Via del Portico dell' Ottavia (23), stands the Casa dei Vallati. The short inscription above the entrance declares: ID VELIS QVOD POSSIS (Desire what you can achieve). ​

Istituto per le Case Popolari (Institute of Public Housing)

Overlooking the river is the erstwhile Institute for Public Housing (1929), which was designed by the Roman architect Alberto Calza Bini (1881-1957). The building sports numerous Latin inscriptions. At the top of the facade the inscription proclaims: PERPETVO FLVENS TIBERI REFERT ROMANI NOMINIS LAVDEM (Flowing perpetually the river Tiber recalls the glory of the name of Rome). While above each of the six windows on the first floor there is a single word: HAVE ROMA MATER HAVE DOMINA MVNDI (Hail, Mother Rome. Hail, Mistress of the World).

Elsewhere on the building two inscriptions declare:  QVI DOMVM DILIGIT PATRIAM DILIGIT (He who loves his home, loves his country) and DECORA DOMVS OPTIMOS COMPARAT CIVES (A decent home produces excellent citizens), reminders that the Institute was built during Italy's flirtation with fascism.  

Palazzine della Meridiana

A long way from the centro storico lies the Palazzine della Meridiana (1926-28), which are named after the two sundials on the facades overlooking the entrances. 

Sundial, Palazzine della Meridiana

Sundial, Palazzine della Meridiana

Each sundial sports an inscription: HORAS NON NVMERO NISI SERENAS (I only count the serene hours) and PERPETVO VOBIS HORA BEATA FLVAT (May time flow happily for you forever). 

Via Silvio Pellico, 10

One of the most amusing inscriptions is emblazoned on the facade of a building in the district of Prati, not too far from the Vatican. It reads: MANEAT DOMVS DONEC FORMICA AEQVOR BIBAT ET LENTA TESTVDO TOTVM PERAMBVLET ORBEM
(Let this house be preserved until the ant has drained the sea and the slow turtle has circled the globe).

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