Piazza Navona in Rome
by PANNINI, Giovanni Paolo, Oil on canvas, 107 x 248 cm
The painting depicts the preparation of the fireworks and decoration on the occasion of the birth of the Dauphin (1729-1765), son of Louis XV and Marie Leczinska. The celebration on the Piazza Navona in Rome was organized by Cardinal Melchior de Polignac, the ambassador of France at the Vatican.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 18 minutes):
Handel: Fireworks Music