Palazzo Farnese

Palazzo Farnese is one of Rome's major High Renaissance palaces, begun for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese before he became Pope Paul III in 1534. Antonio da Sangallo the Younger designed much of it, and Michelangelo later worked on features including the large cornice.

The palace is not a normal walk-in museum because it houses the French Embassy in Italy. Visits, when available, are controlled and limited, with access typically tied to official guided arrangements rather than ordinary ticket sales.

The most famous interior is the Carracci Gallery, decorated by Annibale Carracci and his workshop around the turn of the 17th century. Its ceiling frescoes are a key bridge between Renaissance classicism and Baroque painting in Rome.

Palazzo Farnese stands on Piazza Farnese in central Rome, close to Campo de' Fiori. Its rear side faces toward Via Giulia, one of the major planned streets of Renaissance Rome.