Palazzo Farnese

Palazzo Farnese is a major High Renaissance palace in central Rome, built for the powerful Farnese family in the 16th century. It is one of the grand palazzi of Rome and now houses the French Embassy.

The large inner courtyard designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and refined by Michelangelo, the sequence of state rooms and the Farnese Gallery with fresco cycles by Annibale Carracci dating to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The façade and courtyard are celebrated examples of Renaissance palatial architecture and ornament.

Patronage began under Alessandro Farnese and work started in the early 1500s; major architects associated with the project include Sangallo and Michelangelo, with later completion in the late 16th century. The palace passed from the Farnese family into other hands over the centuries and became the site of the French diplomatic mission in the 19th century.

The palace stands on Piazza Farnese in Rome’s historic centre, a short walk from Campo de’ Fiori and the Tiber River. It is centrally located in the Rione Parione and is easily reached from major tourist routes in the city.

• Current use: Construction began under the Farnese family in the early 16th century and the building later became the French Embassy in Rome, occupying the palace today.

What to See #

• Cortile: A four-sided Renaissance courtyard originally designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and later modified by Michelangelo, notable for its proportions and classical orders.
• Farnese Gallery: A sequence of richly frescoed reception rooms, including the gallery decorated by Annibale Carracci at the end of the 16th century, illustrating important examples of late Renaissance and early Baroque painting.
• Façade and external decoration: The principal façade on Piazza Farnese showing the palace's monumental ashlar masonry and classical pilasters; Michelangelo contributed changes to window details and cornice design.