Palazzo Farnese

Farnese Palace, French Embassy in Italy since 1936, is an example of the synthesist Sangallo style in the '500. It stands in the namesake square, in the Regola distrect, was a project by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, on behalf of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (later Pope Paul III), in 1514. Several times interrupted and resumed, the works underwent several changes: continued with Michelangelo, they saw the creation of the upper cornice, of the facade, the balcony on the central portal and the completion of the internal courtyard. By Giacomo della Porta it must instead the facade overlooking the Tiber, completed in 1589. The building, called "The Farnese's Nut", was considered one of the "Four Wonders of Rome". The facade, brick with cantonal travertine, has three floors; the windows on each floor are all decorated differently. Inside is accessed through a vestibule with three naves covered by a barrel vault and separated by Doric columns in red granite. The interior decoration is particularly fine: the "Room of the Cardinal" was painted in 1547 by Daniele da Volterra; the "Hall of the Farnese's Glories" was painted by Francesco Salviati and completed by Taddeo Zuccari in 1563; Annibale Carracci's frescoes are in the "Camerino" and "Gallery", with stucco and mythological paintings. Since 1860 was the home of Francis II of Naples, who had performed several works by the architect Antonio Cipolla and a series of frescoes; in 1874 the French government transferred here its Embassy. Today, the building also houses the Library of the École Française.