Gaddi Palace

Palazzo Gaddi, originally composed of medieval houses, was transformed over the centuries into one of the city’s most prestigious palaces, still preserving traces of its many architectural phases. The portico with the loggia and the hall with corbels, dating back to the late 16th century, testify to the original building. In the 18th century, the Gaddi family made major alterations, transforming it into a sumptuous Baroque residence, with the addition of the grand staircase leading to the main floor and the enlargement of the hall, also visible from Corso Garibaldi. The imposing appearance of the structure, characterised by its exposed brick façade, contrasts with the richness of the interior, enriched with stuccoes, frescoes and decorations. The main entrance leads to a majestic 18th-century staircase, dominated by a large Baroque statue of Abundance on the first landing. The dome, adorned with fine stucco work in the four pendentives and frescoed with scenes of the ‘Triumph of Zephyrus and Flora’, is one of the building’s most striking features. The main hall, known as the Gaddi Room, is adorned on the ceiling by a large canvas with the family coat of arms, while the adjacent rooms, such as the ‘Augustus Room’, the ‘Theseus Room’ and the ‘Hercules Room’, were decorated in 1818 by Felice Giani, giving them an atmosphere of great magnificence and nobility.

Today, the Palace houses the Museo del Risorgimento (Risorgimento Museum) and the Museo Romagnolo del Teatro (Romagna Theatre Museum) .