073.

Palazzo Fernese

Considered to be the most important Renaissance building in the city, the Palazzo Farnese was built between 1516 and 1589. Started by Sangallo, the facade was completed by Michelangelo who increased the height of the third floor, added the great crowning cornice, and changed the central window from an arch to the same flat trabeation of the neighboring windows, topped by a huge Farnese coat of arms. The Farnese demolished two blocks of buildings in order to create Piazza Farnese aligned on their palazzo. By considerably widening this piazza so as to provide a clear view down the street flanking Palazzo Farnese (Via dei Farnesi) and shifting the right hand fountain over so it appears on its axis, Vasi oddly deemphasizes the actual dominance of the palazzo over its piazza. All this was presumably done in order to be able to show more of the facade of Fuga's 1730s church of Orazione e Morte (2) than is actually visible from the piazza, as well as to give a view of the bridge across Via Giulia (3) (see Plate 71). In the print, the Fuga church lacks the bell tower currently visible on the left corner of the facade. At the right edge of the print we get a glancing view of the early 18th century facade of the Swedish national church, S. Brigida (1). On the left are the unremarkable Palazzo Mandosi (5) and Palazzo de' Cavalieri dell' Ordine Teutonico (4), both built in the 17th century.