What is there
to see?

Certainly not every embassy can claim to have its headquarters in one of the most beautiful buildings in Rome. But the French Embassy is one of them! After all, it has been at home in Palazzo Farnese since 1874.

Palazzo Farnese is located in the immediate vicinity of Piazza Navona and Campo de’ Fiori, which is why many people happen to find themselves in front of the palace and then stop to take photos, surprised by its size and powerful appearance. In the square, there are two large granite bathtubs that have served as fountains since the 16th century. But originally, they were part of the Baths of Caracalla from the 3rd century.

You can only enter Palazzo Farnese by appointment, and in most cases only if you are taking part in a guided tour. Strict security checks (metal scan, ID card …) ensure that really only those people come to the embassy who have also reserved.

But all the effort is worth it! The interiors of the Renaissance building are beautiful! Even the small garden (not visible from the outside) impresses visitors with its natural beauty. The tour starts here before continuing upstairs to various halls and rooms.

You don’t have access to the ambassador’s office, of course, but you can see the room in front where you can admire the statue of Hercules. At least the copy because the original has been in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples for several years. The statue itself is actually (like the bathtub fountains) from the Baths of Caracalla.

A cabinet in the building is also named after Hercules: Camerino d’Ercole. In this room today, there is a large table for meetings. In the 16th century, it was the bedchamber of Cardinal Ordano Farnese. The latter also commissioned the design of the room. In the center of the ceiling there is a painting of the namesake, Hercules, between vice and virtue (Hercules at the Crossroads). This painting is also a copy. The original, like the statue of Hercules, has been in Naples since 1662.

Two other paintings on the long sides of the ceiling depict scenes from the life of Hercules. On the short sides, two scenes from the Odyssey are shown. The area between the paintings is painted to look like stucco decoration.

In the Galleria Farnese, a 20 x 6 meter loggia, one would prefer to lie down on the floor to prevent a stiff neck. Why? Because on the ceiling of the room, there are magnificent frescoes, or rather, a masterpiece of illusionism. Among other things, you can see goddesses and gods of Olympus, love scenes, and the triumphal procession of Bacchus and Ariadne. The 3-D effect adds to the dynamism and makes the room appear much higher than it actually is in reality.

The fresco on the southeast and northwest walls depicts parts of the story of “Perseus and Andromeda” including the scene in which Perseus holds the head of Medusa, whom he has killed, in his hands. If you carefully examine the room, you will even spot a unicorn in one of the paintings on the walls. The unicorn served as an emblem of the Farnese family, alongside the lily.

Incidentally, the palace is named “Farnese” because it was commissioned for construction in 1513 by Alexander Farnese, who later became known as Pope Paul III. Four master architects were involved in the construction and design of the Palazzo: Giacomo della Porta, Michelangelo, Vignola, and Sangallo the Young.