The Rome IndexPalazzo Farnese
The greatest Renaissance palace in Rome — now the French Embassy, with limited visits.
What it is
Commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (later Pope Paul III) and designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, with Michelangelo completing the top floor and cornice after Sangallo's death. The result is widely considered the finest Renaissance palace in Rome.
The Carracci Gallery
The frescoed ceiling of the main gallery, painted by Annibale and Agostino Carracci between 1597 and 1608, depicts scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses — considered the first great Baroque ceiling painting, predating the Sistine Chapel's influence on Baroque art.
Visiting
The palazzo serves as the French Embassy and is only accessible on guided tours, bookable in advance through the French Institute. The piazza outside — with its twin fountains converted from ancient Roman bathtubs — is freely walkable at any hour.