Palazzo Farnese, Rome, Italy - SpottingHistory.com

Palazzo Farnese is one of the most important High Renaissance palaces in Rome. Owned by the Italian Republic, it was given to the French government in 1936 for a period of 99 years, and currently serves as the French embassy in Italy.

First designed in 1517 for the Farnese family, the building expanded in size and conception when Alessandro Farnese became Pope Paul III in 1534, to designs by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. Its building history involved some of the most prominent Italian architects of the 16th century, including Michelangelo, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta.

At the end of the 16th century, the important fresco cycle of The Loves of the Gods in the Farnese Gallery was carried out by the Bolognese painter Annibale Carracci, marking the beginning of two divergent trends in painting during the 17th century, the Roman High Baroque and Classicism. The famous Farnese sculpture collection, now in the National Archeological Museum of Naples, as well as other Farnese collections, now mostly in Capodimonte Museum in Naples, were accommodated in the palace.

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Palaces, manors and town halls in Italy

User Reviews

P E (6 months ago)
Farnese Palace is one of the most important High Renaissance palaces in Rome. Owned by the Italian Republic, it was given to the French government in 1936 for a period of 99 years, and currently serves as the French embassy in Italy. Wickipedia

David Coska (7 months ago)
Amazing palazzo hosting French Embassy

Jessica Clay (14 months ago)
I did the tour in English, and while the tour guide was very knowledgeable, if you're only spending a few days in Rome I would probably skip this. It's beautiful but you really only see a couple of rooms and there's a lot of standing around listening to the tour guide talk about the architecture. Also no photos inside sadly.

Jivko Velev (2 years ago)
It is one of the famous Renaissance palaces in Rome. It's construction started in 1515 by Antonio Sangalo, ordered by cardinal Alexander/Alessandro/ Farnese, who later became Pope Paul III. Then he asked Michelangelo to make the facade and the cornice. Now the palace is a French embassy in Italy.

Brett Judd (2 years ago)
It's a beautiful building, but it's not a destination place unless you have come to Campo de' Fiori. Nothing here but the building guarded by soldiers and two fountains.

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