Palazzo Vidoni Caffarelli

An etching by Carlo Pontani showing the façade of Palazzo Vidoni Caffarelli, a building in the centre of Rome, executed possibly on Raphael's project, with the involvement of Lorenzo Lotti (Lorenzetto). This print was published by Pontani in "Opere architettoniche di Raffaello Sanzio, incise e dichiarate dall'Architetto Carlo Pontani", published in two volumes in 1841 and 1845. The print is lettered with the title in Italian and it is signed by the printmaker.  

Ruland (1876) specifies that this print shows the palace "as planned by Raphael", with seventeen windows (see RCINs 854162 and 854163 for representations of the front of the palace with only twelve windows).

This palace was commissioned by Bernardino Caffarelli and erected between 1515 and 1538, with the inclusion of other older buildings. In the 18th century the palace was bought by Cardinal Vidoni (hence its current name) who enlarged it and it was later acquired by the Giustiani Bandini family. The Palace is decorated with 16th century frescoes (in the Charles V room) possibly executed by the school of Perin del Vaga and with other frescoes by Roman artists of the 18th century.