The tenth edition of the Lectures méditerranéennes of the École française de Rome is dedicated to the patronage of the Farnese. Through the collections and frescoes of the family's Roman residences, the cycle interweaves art history, humanist and religious culture. Recent research in fact allows us to reread this extraordinary heritage as a place where artistic languages and political, dynastic and spiritual meanings take shape.
The first part, entrusted to Michel Hochmann, presents the results of a research project born from the latest restoration of the Galleria dei Carracci at Palazzo Farnese. From the joint work of restorers, art historians and specialists in artistic techniques, new elements emerge concerning the chronology of the worksite, the contribution of Annibale and Agostino Carracci, and painting procedures.