Palazzo Farnese

The Palazzo Farnese, begun by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1484–1546) and completed by Michelangelo (1475–1564), is the most opulent Roman Renaissance palace. It had a personal resonance for the artist Giuseppe Vasi, who lived there after moving to Rome from his native Sicily. Best known as Piranesi’s teacher, Vasi produced a forerunner to Piranesi’s Views of Rome in his compendium of engravings depicting the Magnificences of Ancient and Modern Rome. This massive project, comprising 250 views of churches, villas, public squares, and other architectural subjects, consumed fifteen of Vasi’s most productive years.