Best Western
Hotel Viterbo

Farnese Palace in Caprarola

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Information:
Palazzo Farnese
Curators Office - Tel: 0761-646052
Municipal of Caprarola- Tel: 0761-64901
Tourist Office- Tel: 0761-646157
Web Site: www.caprarola.com
Hours: 9 am to 4 pm
Tickets: 2 euro

Farnese Palace, a splendid example of a noble Renaissance dwelling, dates back to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, member of the noble and powerful family, who in 1504 took possession of the land estate of Caprarola and decided to build a villa-fort that could also serve as a type of warehouse for the possessions of the Farnese family found around the Viterbo area.
The project was initially given to Baldassarre Peruzzi and then to Antonio of Sangallo il Giovane, expert architect in military construction who elaborated the structure of the pentagonal fortress with five angular bastions and a moat; the first phase of construction spread form the 1520's up to 1534, year in which Alessandro Farnese was elected Pope with the name Pope Paul III. Work was begun again in 1559 with supervision by the pope's nephew, Alessandro Farnese Jr. who gave the job to Jacopo Barozzi of Vignola.
The architect kept to the original plan of the project bring modifications that improved the look of the residence, like the internal circular courtyard with a portico and a loggia on the upper floor and the splendid staircase at the entrance.
The palace consists of a floor for nobles, floor for prelates and a subterranean level all connected internally through the Scala Regia, a grand helical staircase in grey granite, enriched with columns on the baluster with a cupola on the top. Completely frescoed by Antonio Tempesta.
The responsibility of the decorative work to the villa was passed on to Taddeo Zuccari (1560-1566), to his brother Federico (1566-1569), and then to Jacopo Bertoja (1569-1572).
The noble floor consists of; the Sala di Giovem the rooms of the Stagioni (seasons), the Sala dei Festi, the Anticamera del Concilio, the Aurora halls the Lanifici and Solitudine; after the death of his brother, Federico cpntinued with the design for the Chapel, Loggia entrance, the Sala of Ermatena, and the Salone d'Ercole.
Credit is given to Bertoja for the decorations of the four Penitence halls, the Giudizi, Sogni, and degli Angeli.
Antonio da Varese was called to do the Sala del Mappamondo (Hall of the World Map) and along with the above mentioned artists, Giovanni de Vecchi, Raffaellino da Reggio, and others less famous, collaborated.
The humanists of the court were those who suggested the various themes based on allegoric, mythical and historical characters who celebrated the achievements of the Farnese. The villa was elaborated, as was commonly done during that époque; take Villa d'Este, Villa Tivoli or Villa Lante a Bagnaia for example, with a magnificent park-garden, designed by Giacomo de Duca, beginning in 1565 with a system if terraces that separate the hills behind the villa.
Work on the palace was terminated on 1575 although further refinishing to the palace for some years as with the gardens that were finally completed in 1630 under the direction of Girolamo Rainaldi.
The park has a collection of interesting fountains done in grey volcanic granite; Fontana dei Gigli (Fountain of Lillies), Catena di delfini (Chain of Dolphins), Fontana del Bicchiere (Fountain of Glasses), and la Palazzina del Piacere (Palace of Pleasure 1584-1586) surrounded by 28 caryatids, work by Pietro Bernini, a structure done in two floors with a double loggia, created as a summer residence for the Cardinal Alexander Jr. and now used by Prince Charles of Great Britain for his summer holidays.

How to get there:
By Car: Take he State Highway SS Cassia in the direction of Viterbo then following on the S.S. Cassia Cimina in the direction of Ronciglione, Caprarola.
From the Autostrada A1: take the Magliano Sabina exit and follow indictions for Civita Castellana, Fabrica di Roma, Carbognano, Caprarola.
By Bus: take the COTRAL bus line Roma-Caprarola and Viterbo-Caprarola.