One of the most beautiful and important buildings in Rome. Anciently considered one of the “four wonders of Rome”, it is an architectural jewel that houses extraordinary works of art.
In its rooms, in the courtyard and in the garden it housed the legendary collection of marbles formed over the course of fifty years, perhaps the largest collection of ancient sculptures that has remained substantially intact.
It is possible to visit the Sangallo Atrium, the Courtyard, the Garden, the Hall of Hercules and the Carracci Gallery
Inside Palazzo Farnese you enter through the magnificent Atrio del Sangallo, divided by red granite columns into three naves, then passing into the Courtyard surrounded by a portico with arches on pillars with Sarcophagi from the tomb of Cecilia Metella and from the Baths of Caracalla.
Beyond the courtyard is a corridor that leads to the “Sottoportico” of the rear facade with sculptures and Roman architectural fragments.
On the main floor the famous Gallery
20 meters long and 6 meters wide with a barrel vault with representations of the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne, Pan and Selene, Mercury and Paris, Polyphemus and Galatea, Polyphemus and Acis, Diana and Endymion, Cephalus and Aurora, Venus and Anchises , Hercules and Omphale, Triton and Nereids, Jupiter and Juno.
The grandiose Hall features a very rich coffered ceiling with tapestries reproducing Raphaelesque frescoes from the Vatican Rooms and, on the sides of the fireplace monument, Abbondance and Peace by Giacomo Della Porta; the adjacent Sala dei Fasti Farnesiani is decorated with frescoes by Francesco Salviati and Taddeo Zuccari.
Among the most beautiful palaces of the Roman sixteenth century, Palazzo Farnese was begun in 1517 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the future Pope Paul III (1534-1549).
Upon Sangallo’s death, the works were continued first by Michelangelo (1546-1549), then by Vignola (1569-1573) who designed the rear façade, and finally by Giacomo Della Porta, who completed them in 1589.
On the main floor, the famous Gallery was frescoed between 1597 and 1604 by Annibale Carracci, who made use of the collaboration of his brother Agostino, of the Domenichino and Giovanni Lanfranco, while the adjacent Sala dei Fasti Farnesiani was decorated with frescoes by Francesco Salviati and by the Zuccaris.
The Palace belonged to one of the most famous families of Renaissance Rome and today is home to the French Embassy.
To carry out the visit you need to book in advance, from 1 to 4 months in advance depending on the season and the number of people. The visits are in French, Italian and English.
Therefore, interpreters for other languages are not permitted.
The booking can be both individual and for groups of up to 20 people.
For the same organization (cultural association, university and/or person) only one visit per year is allowed.
For the visit it is important to have a valid identity document (no photocopies).
Photographs and films are not permitted and bags and bulky objects are not permitted (neither case nor wardrobe).
Palazzo Farnese
French Embassy in Italy
Piazza Farnese 67
Rome
Lazio – Italy
Website info (Other info and Photo Gallery)
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