This building wing on via dei Priori is considered as showpiece of degli Oddi’s family, a prestigious symbol in the middle of Perugia.
The inner decoration has a late Baroque languages in the first two rooms, whereas the last three are more neoclassical.
The most original elements are the “battuto alla veneziana” flooring, very rare technique in Perugia.
Three of the five original floors have survived and have been restored in 2022 by CBC Umbria Cooperative, thanks to the Umbrian Soprintendenza Archeologia belle arti e paesaggio (Ministry of Culture).
This importation is probably due to Giovanni Battista degli Oddi (1686-1766) who was at the service of the Venetian Republic (1705-1735), coming back to Perugia in 1744.
First Landscape Waiting Room or Music Chamber
From the Entrance Hall you can have access to the Landscape waiting room: going to the right you reach the Alcove Room, on the left the Painting Collection, the Red and Gold Living Room, the Billiard Room or Railing Room.
Here in the waiting room the ceiling was painted in 1771 by the Francesco Appiani (1704-1792) of the Marches. The subjects are Putti in glory, whereas the intrados is adorned by Roman and Myth scenes.
The squaring and the angular vase of flowers are attributed to Nicola Giuli (1722-1784).
The “battuto alla veneziana” flooring has been realised in the same period, as demonstrated by the same decorative motif of vase of flowers.
In the middle of the flooring a myrtle crown with a three-chord-lyre crossed by a lituo (a wind instrument).
The furniture are from the second half of Eighteenth century.
One of the most interesting thing is the wooden canapè “white-colored with golden carving and caduceus emblem”, also evoked on the chairs and the wooden carved console tables.
The walls are decorated by eleven painting figuring Views and Capricci by an artist near Giovanni Paolo Pannini (1691-1765).
Alcove Room
From the first Landscape Waiting Room you can access to the Alcove Room, composed by two rooms divided by a lowered-round arch.
Until the Fifties this has been the palace master’s bedroom.
The ceiling was realised in 1771 by Francesco Appiani (1704-1792) figuring The Justice and Peace in the middle, with Famous Men in the four angles and in the intrados.
The architectural squaring and vegetables decorations are by Nicola Giuli (1722-1784).
The waiting room is enriched by a false-marble fireplace; above it, a wall mirror framed by a wooden carved frame, decorated by gold and the family degli Oddi’s emblem. In the alcove there’s a wooden carved, golden and painted bed.
All the fornitures are from the second half of Eighteenth century.
On the right wall stands out the painting Venus born by the sea by Luigi Scaramuccia (1616-1665) acquired by Angelo degli Oddi (1601-1647).
Under the painting, there’s one of the collection sculpture: Putti bacchanal, a little Flemish terracotta by Francesco Duquesnoy (1597-1643). The artwork was gifted by Giovanni Andrea Carlone to Francesco degli Oddi.
Painting Gallery
From the door on the left before the Landscape Waiting Room you can access to the Painting Gallery.
Here there are 51 paintings, considered as the most precious and important unit created by Angelo and Francesco degli Oddi in the Seventeenth century.
The actual collocation had been defined on the half of Nineteenth century by Angelo degli Oddi (1814-1871), heir’s founder, and then kept untouched by the last owner Barbara Marini Clarelli Santi.
It’s very likely that since the beginning this space was intended as museum use. This theory is confirmed by the inner decorations designed to give prestige.
The pictorial decoration of this and the next two rooms were entrusted to Marcello Leopardi (1750 ca.-1795), artist of the Marches with a Roman development that brought into Perugia the neoclassical language.
The ceiling is decorated by the Sun float enclosed by an octagonal square with geometrical motifs. The intrados is decorated by monochrome mythological figures with girali. Also in this room the “battuto alla veneziana” flooring refrain the octagonal scheme in the vault, completing the iconography with Moon and the stars.
Among the main paintings there is on the left wall the Maddalena by Giovanni Antonio Scaramuccia (1570 ca.-1633).
On the main wall two paintings by Guercino (1591-1666) figuring Lucrezia Romana and Diana: the two artworks were acquired by Angelo degli Oddi.
Download the book Una Collezione Seicentesca a Perugia in PDF (2MB)
Red and Golden Living Room (or “Receiving Room”)
From the Gallery you can have access to the Red and Golden Living Room, so-called for the red and golden brocade on the walls. From the previous inventory (1752,1872) this space was also called The receiving Room.
The ceiling- figuring the Dawn’s float – was decorated in 1783 by Marcello Leopardi. He also painted the Bacchus and Ariadne’s Stories in the intrados and in the overdoors.
The “battuto alla veneziana” flooring has the same path of vault, with a rectangular shape and decorations in the angles. The whole decoration reminds of a carpet and in the middle there’s a stylised twelve-petals flower.
On the left wall you can admire The poet Dante Alighieri or Old man’s head by Pietro Montanini (1626-1689).
On the right wall the monochrome Olympus by Genoese Giovanni Andrea Carlone (1639-1697): this artwork is the preparatory drawing for the vault of the Honour Hall at Villa Cilio in Carpello (Foligno), donated from the artist to Francesco degli Oddi.
Above the fireplace a wooden-carved-golden wall mirror dated to the end of Eighteenth century that shows a neo-Egyptian taste.
The right wall is decorated by a Rococò wooden-carved-golden table surmounted by a wall mirror.
On the marble shelf of the table there’s a group of white-porcelain made at the end of the Eighteenth century figuring Pope Pio VI on horseback, an aquatic, a woodcutter, a putto with a deer, a shepherd woman, a cherub couple, a putto with a greyhound.
The Billiard Room or The Railing Room
The Billiard Room is the last one of the “Good Apartment”: its walls are covered by a dark green textile.
The billiard table that gives name to the space has been taken apart and positioned in the storage due to static problems.
The flooring – probably battuto alla veneziana – has been replaced by grit little marbles from the Fifties as in the Alcove Room.
The most interesting artwork is the Felicitas Publica Allegory in the middle of the ceiling , also painted by Marcello Leopardi in 1783.
By the same hand have been painted the intrados and the monochrome Mythological scene in the overdooor.
