I Farnese nella Roma del Cinquecento. Origini e fortuna di una collezione

Over 140 works, from prestigious national and international institutions, absolute masterpieces of one of the most important art collections of the Renaissance, are on display in the exhibition spaces of Villa Caffarelli, at the Capitoline Museums.

Ancient sculptures, bronzes, paintings, drawings, precious manuscripts, gems and coins tell the story of the Farnese Collection thanks to a scientific project of great value and relevance in the context of the Jubilee year, reconstructing the moment of its greatest splendour, from the first decades of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th.

Started by Alessandro Farnese, who ascended to the papal throne as Paul III in 1534, and further enriched by the work of Cardinals Alessandro and Odoardo, the Farnese Collection was one of the most famous artistic and archaeological gatherings of the time and also represented the instrument through which the Farnese family sought to consolidate its prestige in papal Rome as promoters of a new Rome, capable of reviving the majesty of antiquity through culture and the arts, and at the same time bringing prestige to the figure of Pope Paul III by strengthening his pontificate.

The birth and especially the growth of the Collection occurred during the profound and rapid urban transformation of Rome, desired and promoted by Pope Paul III, after the tragic Sack of Rome in 1527. In fact, the grandiose renovation of Piazza del Campidoglio, entrusted to Michelangelo by the Farnese Pope, with the placement of the statue of Marcus Aurelius, transferred in 1538 from Piazza del Laterano, is owed to him.

The creation of such an exceptional nucleus of works clearly revealed the museum vocation of Palazzo Farnese, which was also included among the most important places in Rome, that guidebooks invited to visit.

The exhibition path

The exhibition path winds its way through twelve rooms, through which you can immerse yourself in the reality of the Farnese family by reconstructing the bond between the family, the city of Rome and the Collection: ‘Gli Artefici della Collezione’, ‘Un palazzo per “una scuola pubblica del mondo”’, ‘I Farnese e l'antichità: passione e prestigio’. 'Galleria del Palazzo', 'La Sala dei Filosofi', 'Fulvio Orsini', which explores his role in the acquisition and valorisation of numerous artefacts and his commitment to increasing the Farnese library, an important centre for the study and conservation of ancient manuscripts, codices and literary works, 'Il Camerino' or 'Gabinetto del Cardinale', 'Le stanze dei dipinti e dei disegni', 'Due collezioni, un solo destino', which pays tribute to the exceptional bond between the Farnese and the Orsini families.

The link that the Farnese family had established between Rome and their Collection is also testified by the presence in the exhibition of the Testament of Grand Cardinal Alessandro, in which it is explicitly stated that the Collection, inalienable, was to remain in Rome.

1600, the year that closes the chronological arc of the exhibition, is that of Orsini's death and is also the year that will mark the end of the most prestigious period of the Farnese Collection.

The exhibition, curated by Claudio Parisi Presicce and Chiara Rabbi Bernard, is promoted by Roma Capitale, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali and organised by Zètema Progetto Cultura in collaboration with Civita Mostre e Musei. Exhibition design and artistic direction by Studio Lucchi & Biserni.