AT HER ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY’S PALAZZO IN ROME
ON THE DELIGHTS — AND DUTIES — OF LIVING IN A HOME WITH 500 YEARS OF HISTORY
Sveva Colonna has quite a perspective on the history of Rome. Her family home, the Palazzo Massimo di Rignano, stands opposite the Capitoline Hill, where Julius Caesar spoke to the empire and introduced Cleopatra to the people.
The Colonnas’ own arrival in the Eternal City was recent only by contrast: they’ve been making their mark there for the past 900 years.
One of the most powerful dynasties in Italy, they can boast of Princes and poets, soldiers and saints, and on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo painted himself with Vittoria Colonna, his friend and muse, at his side.
PAST AND PRESENT IN ONE
Sveva can tell you all about the city she loves, from its legendary battles and alliances to its lost frescoes, and she keeps a keen eye on conservation. But if she has one foot in the past, the other is very much in the present. A graduate of the EU Business School, she is a digital marketing expert whose career has included a senior role at Disney.
It was only recently that she moved back into the Renaissance masterpiece in which she grew up, living there with her new husband Emanuele Boni and their beautiful daughter Artemisia so they can be close to her parents.
Sveva, what is it like to grow up in a building that has five centuries of history?
“This palazzo holds my childhood memories, of time spent with my grandparents. I was baptised in this house, as was my daughter, and I was even married in the church opposite. It’s where my past lives.”
And your illustrious ancestors look out at you from their portraits. How does that feel?
“Their experiences, their exploits and their works of art – their legacy – is part of our family history. But like anyone else’s ancestors, they inspire rather than intimidate us. For example, my father Fabrizio not only practises law, but also holds positions in prestigious Roman institutions. He is a member of the Sovereign Council of the Order of Malta.
“I feel my lineage as a great honour, but also a great responsibility, both in public and private life.”
Tell us about the palazzo.
“It stands in Piazza d’Aracoeli, opposite the two stairca
