Palazzo delle Esposizioni

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is the largest exhibition and multidisciplinary space in central Rome. It is divided on three floors, with more than 3,000 square meters of exhibition space, a Cinema Hall and Auditorium, spaces for educational activities, a bookstore, a restaurant and a cafeteria. It is, moreover, one of the most up-to-date cultural centers in Europe, in continuous and fruitful exchange with the most important national and international institutions and offers the public a rich program, which includes art exhibitions, film and theater reviews, photographic exhibitions, concerts, book presentations, educational meetings and events for in-depth study.

Much loved by Romans and increasingly frequented by tourists, this majestic white palace represents for the city of Rome a space of culture and suggestions, capable of offering visitors high quality projects, excellent technological standards and attentive and modern reception policies.

The project to build the Palazzo arose from the desire to create a building that would enhance the city’s cultural vocation and be totally dedicated to the fine arts. Among the 74 projects submitted to Roma Capitale, the winning project was presented by architect Pio Piacentini, trained at the Accademia di San Luca, marked with the motto “Sit quod vis simplex et unum” (Let everything be simple and one). Construction work began in 1880 and the building was inaugurated in 1883, with great pomp and in the presence of the King.

The monumental effect is most evident in the central part of the facade, characterized by a deep arched opening and a sequence of statues (placed later) on the columns and pilasters on the facade.

Piacentini created a building inspired by the classicist tradition tempered by the search for an international style. One of the most visible features of the imposing building is the lack of windows on the facade, something that drew Piacentini no small amount of criticism. His intent, however, was to create continuous surfaces within the building that would fulfill exhibition requirements to the maximum. Natural light filtered through the transparencies of the iron and glass roofs placed above.

Between 2003 and 2007, the Palace of Exhibitions underwent a long and painstaking restoration that cost a total of 28 million euros.

Since its reopening to the public in October 2007, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni has offered the public a rich and prestigious program of temporary exhibitions, hosting collections and artists who, within its majestic spaces, have found the best way to “dialogue” with the City of Rome and its past.