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The Taverna Palace is composed of a set of buildings taking up the entire artificial mound (formed on the ruins of the Statilius Taurus amphitheatre, according to some, or on a stockpile of amphorae from the nearby Tiber river port, according to others) called Monte Giordano. The name comes from Giordano Orsini, a senator of Rome in the years 1341-1342 and nephew of Pope Nicolò III (1277-1280). The area had previously been the property of Giovanni di Concione, lord of Riano (mid 12th century) and was occupied by a fort with a “great tower”.  In 1286, the Orsini family settled the mound and it later became known as “Mons Ursinorum” (1328). Later on, this fort with its many defence towers was turned into a set of noble buildings divided among the various branches of the Orsini family, who often ceded the apartments to cardinals and ambassadors. Amongst others, the writer Torquato Tasso often resided here, as the guest of cardinal Ippolito d’Este. In 1688, due to his huge debts, Flavio Orsini, the last Duke of Bracciano, sold the entire complex to the Roman noblemen Pietro and Antonio Gabrielli, who restructured and enlarged the complex by also purchasing the other houses around the mound, in this way creating a grand building complex. When the Gabrielli family died out in 1888, Monte Giordano was sold to the Taverna counts of Milan who are the current owners. The set of buildings has five main structures and on the side overlooking Via Panico and Via Monte Giordano there is an imposing escarpment wall dating back to the 16th century and belonging to the palace of the Orsini of Bracciano and considered the work of Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481-1536). Besides this structure, the other main elements of the palace consist of the oldest palace overlooking Vicolo Domizioand leaning on the former building. Between these two buildings is the large vaulted entrance way leading on to the great courtyard with a 17th century fountain fed by the Acqua Paola system, the work of Antonio Casoni (1618), and modified by the Gabrielli in the 18th century. On the left is the palace of the Counts of Pitigliano (accessed from Via dei Coronari) and the palace of the lords of Monterotondo (facing Piazza del Fico and Vicolo del Montonaccio), with a massive 19th century medieval style tower called Augusta in honour of the wife of the owner Placido Gabrielli. Finally, the other element making up the whole complex is the ex-church of Saints Simonand Judas, accessed from Via S. Simone.