Farnesina Palace

The Farnesina Palace, located in Rome between Monte Mario and the Tiber, represents one of the most imposing and recognizable buildings in the Italian capital. Built between 1937 and 1959, it was initially designed to house the Palazzo del Littorio, the headquarters of the National Fascist Party. However, by 1940, its intended use was changed to become the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project was entrusted to architects Enrico Del Debbio, Arnaldo Foschini, and Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, who created a monumental building characterized by a rationalist aesthetic with strong neoclassical references. The travertine facade, with its strict and symmetrical geometries, is a perfect example of the monumental style of the time, made vibrant by the design of unequal openings on the various levels. The structure, with its nine floors and a facade 169 meters long and 51 meters high, covers an area of 120,000 square meters and a volume of 720,000 cubic meters, making it one of the largest buildings in Italy, comparable to the Royal Palace of Caserta. The interior of the palace is equally impressive, with over 1,300 rooms, six and a half kilometers of corridors, seven art exhibition halls, twenty meeting rooms, and a large international conference hall. This vast space was designed to accommodate approximately 7,000 people, meeting the functional needs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One of the most distinctive features of the Farnesina is its rich collection of contemporary art. The Farnesina Collection, initiated in 1999 by the Directorate General for the Promotion and Cultural Cooperation of the Ministry, gathers significant works of Italian art from the 20th century. Among the represented artists are illustrious names such as Alighiero Boetti, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Umberto Boccioni, Giorgio De Chirico, and many others. This collection documents the main artistic currents of the 20th century, from futurism to metaphysics, from abstractionism to poor art, to the transavantgarde and the new Roman school. In 2008, the art collection was expanded with the Farnesina Experimenta Collection, which includes works by the latest generations of Italian artists. Furthermore, in 2009, the Farnesina Design Collection was inaugurated, celebrating the excellence of Italian design. In front of the palace stands the monumental “Sfera Grande” by Arnaldo Pomodoro, a work conceived for the 1967 Montreal Expo and later placed outside the Farnesina. In addition to its administrative function, the Farnesina houses the Diplomatic Historical Archive, which preserves and inventories the historical-diplomatic documentation produced by the ministry’s central offices and diplomatic and consular representations abroad. This archive represents an invaluable resource for historical research and understanding of Italian international relations. The history of the Farnesina is closely linked to the political and social events of 20th century Italy. Its construction, interrupted by World War II and resumed in the post-war period, reflects the country’s transformations and the transition from the fascist regime to the Republic. The building itself, with its grandeur and clean lines, is a symbol of state power and modernity. The importance of the Farnesina lies not only in its institutional function but also in its role as a cultural center. The numerous works of art displayed in its corridors and conference rooms give the building an artistic and cultural value that goes beyond mere architecture. The presence of works by internationally renowned contemporary artists makes the Farnesina a meeting place between politics and art, where decisions that influence the country’s future intertwine with artistic expressions that celebrate its creativity and innovation.