the garden to a loggia and hanging garden. In 1671-76 Carlo Rainaldi added new features for Prince Giovan Battista Borghese; the most extensive changes were made on the newly raised ground floor of the long wing extending towards the Tiber, ending with river views, which the Borghese found the most congenial dwelling spaces: Rainaldi added the columnar loggia to Ponzi's end facade (illustration, right), and on the interior a richly stuccoed oval chapel, and the narrow barrel-vaulted galleria, the highly charged Cortonesque decorative details of which were designed by Giovan Francesco Grimaldi (1606-1680). The Porto di Ripetta, the port of Rome, was along the river bank of the Via di Ripetta. From 1707, the Tiber side of Palazzo Borghese would have overlooked the scenographic steps of the Porto di Ripetta designed by Alessandro Specchi. The port was destroyed in the 19th century with the development of Lungotevere. Overview The main façades have three stories with two mezzanines inserted between them and the two majestic portals are flanked by columns and a balcony. Through the portal on the Piazza Fontanella Borghese, a view across the courtyard is centred on one of the wall fountains in the garden beyond. The edifice has a magnificent inner courtyard, surrounded by ninety-six granite columns and decorated with statues, a nympheum, and other features, as well as an enclosed garden with three niche wall-fountains built to designs by Johann Paul Schor and finished by Rainaldi for Prince Giovan Battista Borghese in 1673. The court has been described as "one of the most spectacular existing, not only in Rome". The façade towards the Piazza Fontanella Borghese faces another Borghese palace, rebuilt in the 16th century by Scipio Borghese to house the lesser members of the family, the stables and the servants. Palazzo Borghese was the original seat of the family's art collection, with works by Raphael, Titian and many others, transferred in 1891 to the Galleria Borghese in Villa Borghese. The balcony scene in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet was filmed not at this Palazzo Borghese but at Palazzo Borghese in Artena outside Rome. Notes References Hibbard, Howard. (1962) The Palazzo Borghese (Rome: American Academy) Biographies of Longhi and Ponzio are in appendices. Touring Club Italiano, (1965)Roma e Dintorni External links Page with ancient print of the palace Borghese residences Borghese Houses completed in the 17th century Rome R. IV Campo Marzio Diplomatic missions in Rome