The Baroque palaces of seventeenth-century Rome were centers for much of the artistic and cultural activities of the city. This book presents some of the magnificent furnishings from these palaces and explains what they reveal of the social life and art patronage of the major families of the Eternal City during this period. This book is the catalogue for an exhibition at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts from March 10 through June 13, the show then travels to the Nelson-Arkins Museum in Kansas City, where it will appear from July 25 through October 3, 1999.