Cardinal Alessandro
Farnese had planned to erect the family palace, given to
Antionio da Sangallo the Younger since 1513,on land
acquired in 1495. The election of the client who became
pope with the name of Paul III in 1534, caused the
architect to make some modifications "appearing to him
to have to do more with the palace of a pontiff than a
cardina/:'The rear of the splendid residence was
completed by Vignola and later by Giacomo Oella Porta
and then enriched by cardinal Odoardo Farnese with
frescoes by Agostino and Annibale Carracci in the
ceiling of the Gallery, a true milestone for the Roman
baroque style. In 1731, on the death of the last male
descendant, the important works of art inherited by
Charles of Bourbon were moved to Naples. The palace,
given to France in 1874, is still today home of the
Embassy to the Italian State.
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Michelangelo took
over on the death of Sangallo (1546), and completed the
Farnese building, finishing the main floor and part of the
internal courtyard, probably joined to the second order. The
sub- .
stantial modification to the main elevation is due to him,
with the transformation of the original central window to
the present one crowned by "a coat of,'"",,
arms of pope Paul the __,""'.',','.'-"_,_, _':""L ,..,,',
third:big,beautiful,Bale
and of different mar
bles'; it was later flanked by two other smaller coats of
arms. |
The addition of
the massive cornice, decorated with the Farnese lilies would
be decisive - according to the plan presented in the spring
of 1547, bitterly criticised by the followers of Sangallo -
after the suitable corrections made adding to the faGade,
which a recent restoration has returned it to its ancient
glory.
In the courtyard, the influence of Michelangelo, who was
replaced after the death of the pontiff byVignola, can be
seen in the refined frieze with garlands which completes the
main floor and in the personal interpretation of the classic
language of the upper floor, lined with Corinthian columns. |
