Villa Farnesina is a wonderful building in Renaissance style, right next to the Lungotevere, on the Trastevere side (Right Bank of the Tiber). It was built by Agostino Chigi, a famous banker from the Tuscan city of Siena, who, in 1472, founded the still open bank of "Monte dei Paschi di Siena".
This building, configured as a "Suburban Villa" as opposed to the city palace, (Palazzo Chigi) where now is the Office of the Prime Minister, is currently owned by the "Accdemia dei Lincei" Italy's National Scientific Academy, and one of the most ancient (if not the most ancient) of such Institutions in the world. The whole building is decorated with scenes from Greek and Roman Myths, with the most remarkable room being the "Loggia di Psiche".
The story has it that the decoration of such room was appointed to Raffaello Sanzio, and that Michelangelo was terribly curious to see what kind of work his "rival" was carrying out, but Raffaello set up a strong security in order not to let anyone "spy" on his work. Nevertheless, Michelangelo tried really hard, and finally managed to sneak in.
In order to show Raffaello he managed to outsmart the security he set up, he drew, using a piece of charcoal, a young man's head in one of the blank spaces in the fresco, in the unmistakable Michelangelo's style. The following morning, Raffaello was enraged to see his arch rival managed to see his artwork before its completion, but his anger lasted for really short time, because the Tuscan great artist's drawing was so beautiful that Raffaello didn't have the heart to have it deleted, and the drawing is still there, and can be admired at the beginning of the visit of Villa Farnesina.
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