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44 with the United States assuming responsibility for managing Italian cultural pieces. In the late 1980s, a dusty marble sculpture at the embassy caught an art expert’s eye. What was once thought to be a copy of a work by the renowned late Renaissance sculptor Giambologna, the Cesarini Venus, tucked away in a dark niche, was identi ed by ne arts professionals as an original Giambologna marble The Grand Gallery, completed in 1890, is an exquisite, original space on the U.S. Embassy’s main floor and creates an unforge able walk to and from the Ambassador’s office. U.S. Embassy Rome, Cultural Heritage Office Archive. sculpture completed in 1583. Thanks to private sector funding the Cesarini Venus was properly conserved and now stands prominently at the base of the embassy’s grand staircase, welcoming U.S. citizens, dignitaries, and guests. America’s stewardship of this renowned collection provides ongoing opportunity for diplomatic cultural heritage collaboration with Le : Looking in the US Embassy door to the Cesarini Venus . MGT/Cultural Heritage Office, U.S. Embassy Rome. Right: Cesarini Venus stands at the base of the grand staircase in the U.S. Embassy Rome, the Palazzo Margherita. The marble sculpture carved by Giambologna in 1583 was commissioned by Francesco de’ Medici as a gi for Giangiorgio Cesarini. U.S. Embassy Rome, Cultural Heritage Office Archive.