Palazzo Farnese, Piacenza

This large partly constructed palace is located on the banks of the River Po in the city of Piacenza in northern Italy.

The palace was commissioned by Ottavio's wife Margaret, daughter of Emperor Charles V. The new edifice was erected over a former fortress built by the Visconti in 1352, part of which can still be seen.

The actual construction, however, made up only less than a half of Vignola's original project and lacked many of the planned architectural features.

The original plan called for a massive rectangular palace with three main floors, three towers, two ceremonial staircases and two spiral ones, each floor was to have two residential complexes (one for Ottavio, another for Margaret) which included an oratory, a chapel, three state rooms, service rooms and a private loggia; and on top of that it included two main loggias on the southern facade, an open theatre on the internal courtyard and Italian gardens that were to reach the main city walls opposite the Po river.

Restoration began only in the early 20th century and today the Palazzo Farnese at Piacenza houses an important series of museums and exhibitions.