In Rome, the lions of the French embassy are getting a makeover

The 300 sculptures adorning the cornice of this vast building, all different from one another, constituted one of the highlights of the vast restoration project of the roofs and facades of the sumptuous 16th century palace, which began in 2021.

Daniela Porro, superintendent in charge of historical properties in the Italian capital, told reporters that she felt a "strong emotion" when she climbed onto the scaffolding to "caress" the sculptures of this palace, "a universal masterpiece of architecture".

"It was a site of constant discoveries," rejoiced French architect Pierre-Antoine Gatier, who said that restorers had identified, on the front facade of the building located in the heart of Rome, a lion's head sculpted by Michelangelo himself.

Mr. Gatier, chief architect of historical monuments, reported a more unusual discovery: the facade of the palace, which has housed the French embassy since the 19th century, was once used by tennis players, as evidenced by the discovery of period leather balls in its crevices.

The French ambassador to Rome, Anne-Marie Descôtes, praised "the constant commitment to taking care of the Palazzo Farnese (...), a symbol of the values ​​common to France and Italy".