Palazzo Farnese

Built from 1517, for Alessandro Farnese (1468-1549) who was then a Cardinal. It was significantly enlarged from 1534 when he became Pope Paul III and commissioned Michelangelo to carry out the improvements. It was enlarged again by the Pope's nephew, Ranuccio Farnese, before being completed in 1589 for the second Cardinal Farnese in 1589. The Art Historian Sir Banister Fletcher (1866-1953) called it, "the most imposing Italian palace of the 16th century". It has inspired several other buildings across the world, including the Royal Palace at Stockholm and London's Reform Club.