PALAZZO ALBERTI

Palazzo Alberti is one of the five left to Orte by the Alberti family, originally from Arezzo, whose presence has been ascertained since 1373. Wool merchants, they purchased at the end of the 16th century the area turned into a vegetable garden where the ancient Rocca once stood, a medieval fortress defending the town, destroyed and then rebuilt on the initiative of Cardinal Egidio Albornoz in 1366.
The palace presents classical forms and a certain asymmetry of the façade. It is rectangular in shape with a fold on the longest side overlooking the cliff.
It was built in two stages; the part towards the Porta delle Arci in 1596, and the other towards the city in 1602. The materials used for the structure are traditional masonry of local stone and mortar of lime and pozzolan; externally it is plastered and panelled with mouldings of local travertine stone at the windows, entrance portal and corners. The horizontal structures consist of masonry arches on the first and ground floors, in wooden beams and planking on the first and second floors. The roof is roofed with a brick slab.

Inside, there are vaulted frescoed ceilings with classic Renaissance designs in the hall and entrance corridor, which originally formed a single reception room. The rest of the house, on the ground floor, is of simple form. Below the basement floor are the cellars carved out of the tuffaceous rock, partly consisting of Etruscan tombs.
A wide staircase leads to the main floor, consisting of a large living room with a height of 7.30 m, with three large double-arched windows overlooking the street and the garden. The floor is in onyx, the ceiling is in wooden coffers with panels decorated with frescoes, and the walls are also decorated with mythological scenes that unfold along the entire perimeter, to a height of 2 m.
The study is floored with oak parquet, with a decorated coffered ceiling and frescoed walls. The other rooms have a Venetian-style onyx bollettone floor.
In front of the palace is the garden, which is an integral part of it, with an arched entrance in peperino stone, bearing the date: AD MCLXX.

This green space of approximately 300 square metres, enclosed by walls, is a place of peace and beauty, perfect for admiring the breathtaking panorama of the valley below.
The building has three above-ground floors and an equal number of basement and underground levels, with a total gross floor area of approximately 2,300 square metres, of which approximately 1,500 square metres is above ground, and accommodates a total of 37 rooms and 25 rooms. The ground floor, measuring approximately 515 square metres, is accessed through a central entrance that leads to rooms decorated with vaulted ceilings and, in some cases, original paintings. A large window at the end of the entrance hall offers an enchanting view of the Tiber plain, anticipating the imposing staircase leading to the first floor.
The second floor, arranged on two staggered levels, was originally partly intended for service personnel, characterised by lower ceilings, and partly by larger rooms with greater heights, probably technical areas serving the palace, such as wash-houses, drying rooms and others. Some rooms have wooden ceilings and floors from the early 20th century that are still intact. Finally, the three basement levels offer a true journey through time: partly accessible from both inside and outside, they are characterised by caves and tunnels dug into the rock, where the remains of ancient columbaria can also be found. These underground spaces, full of mystery, offer extraordinary opportunities for use.

The Soprintendenza per i Beni Ambientali e Architettonici has already approved a renovation and enhancement project, which has yet to be implemented.
Although in need of maintenance, the potential of this property is immense.