A view of the prince's apartments at Palazzo Colonna, or the Colonna Palace, in Rome during a recent media tour. Photo: AP
Millions of tourists visit the Colosseumand Sistine Chapeleach year, yet only a tiny fraction ever step inside the gilded halls of Rome’s most exclusive site: the Colonna Palace.
The private home-museum hides in plain sight, spread out in four wings over an entire block in the city centre. Its owners cling to their cloistered ways, keeping the baroque palace’s paintings, sculptures, busts, tapestries and 76m (249-foot) Great Hall far from most prying eyes. Doors open to small groups, 10 people at a time, guided by art historians for a few hours on Friday and Saturday mornings.
