La colección Ludovisi y su llegada a España

The rise to the Papacy of Alessandro Ludovisi, as Gregory XV (1621-1623) brought to the Ludovisi family its maximum levels of prestige and power. Ludovico Ludovisi, the cardinalnephew, established the situation to hoard and impressive collection of ancient sculpture and contemporary painting that made his art gallery one of the richest in Europe. The inventories carried out of his villa give a good account of this magnificent collection in which there were works by artists such as Raphael or Titian. After the cardinal’s death, the collection was managed by his brother, Niccolò Ludovisi, who held prominent posts in the Spanish administration. Aware of the Philip IV interest in painting, Niccolò employed his masterpieces to gain recognition through positions and titles awarded by the king, such as the Viceroyalties of Sardinia and Aragon, or honoured as member of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In this way many masterpieces of Italian painting became part of the Spanish royal collections.