Palazzo Serlupi Crescenzi

The magnificent residence that is the Palazzo Serlupi Crescenzi was com-missioned by Ottaviano Crescenzi, who wished to replace the family houses with a grander edifice. The palace was designed by Giacomo della Porta and dates to 1585.

Art historian W. Arslen suggests that this palace is "the most noble example of urban Roman architecture from the second half of the 16^th  century, the most classic."(Bollettino dell'Arte 1927).

In 1748, the original wooden stairs were replaced by a new, wider marble staircase. The first three steps are primarily functional rather than aesthetic. Indeed, they served as platform so that horsemen or carriage passengers could disembark without stepping onto the ground when the river flooded the courtyard. Throughout Rome one can find signs which indicate the water level of memorable floods. In this palace, just after the porter’s door, there are two flood marks: one is from 1870 and the other, higher up, is from 1598. During the latter, residents and visitors had to enter the palace through a window on the first floor rather than the ground floor, due to the high water level.