Piazza Farnese takes its name from the imposing Palazzo Farnese. Its history begins in the 16th century, when Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (the future Pope Paul III) purchased several houses on the square, demolishing them to create a suitable space for the palace. The greatest artists of the time participated in its construction: Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Jacopo Barozzi known as Vignola, and Giacomo Della Porta.

The square was paved starting in 1545. In 1626, two monumental fountains were built, designed by Girolamo Rainaldi, reusing two Roman-era basins made of Egyptian granite from the Baths of Caracalla. The two basins, decorated with lion heads and relief rings, feature a travertine balustrade in the center with two cups supporting Farnese lilies, from which jets of water rise.

Other noble palaces built between the 17th and 18th centuries overlook the square. On the right side are the church of Santa Brigida and the house where the Swedish saint lived, together with her daughter, Saint Catherine, from 1350 until her death in 1373. The church was built in 1391, the year of the saint's canonization, and is now run by the Brigidine nuns.

Palazzo Farnese is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Renaissance period, an architectural jewel housing extraordinary works of art. On the main floor of the palace is the renowned Carracci Gallery, created by the brothers Annibale and Agostino Carracci, exponents of the new 16th-century classicism: a magnificent 20-meter vault frescoed with mythological subjects from Ovid's Metamorphoses, also visible from the square.

Other masterpieces include the "Cardinal's Chamber," frescoed as early as 1547 by Daniele da Volterra, and the "Hall of Farnese Glories," painted by Francesco Salviati between 1552 and 1556 and completed by Taddeo Zuccari starting in 1563.

Palazzo Farnese is now the seat of the French Embassy. Access to the palace is only possible with a guided tour, with tickets purchased on the official website.