Hosted by the French ambassador, the Duc de Nivernais, in one of Rome's more flamboyant palaces, Palazzo Farnese (which is still the French embassy today), these extravagant occasions celebrated the long-awaited birth of the French Dauphin's first son.

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Their palaces were built by Italians and landscaped by the French.

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Until the French Revolution, there were few opportunities to see old-master paintings outside sale-rooms, churches, palaces and private houses.

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