When I visit these grand palazzos, my thoughts always go to the anonymous workers who put thousands of hours of grueling labor into them. I also think about the artists, also mostly anonymous, who made these structures so stunning. But the wealthy, powerful families who had these buildings constructed always seem unsavory to me—greedy, arrogant, desperate to consolidate wealth and power, and constantly aggrandizing themselves, often at the expense of others.

What I like is the fact that the palaces these people built to show off their wealth and status now belong to the people, and serve as places for the public to enjoy.