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The ride is a bit long: depending on traffic, it’s about an hour and a half each way. Yet you’ll be in a comfortable van with pleasant company. And you’re heading towards a great destination: Viterbo. It and the surrounding area were the
stronghold of the Farnese clan, who also owned extensive property in Rome and witnessed
an event greater rise to power when Alexander Farnese became Pope Paul III in
1534. In the small town of Caprarola, Alexander Farnese’s father
built a fortress. (You can never be too sure, not even in the Renaissance!) With
Alexander’s election as Pope, the country fortress was renovated into a
prince’s palace, with all the necessary commodities: a throne room, a map room,
guest quarters, summer and winter lodgings, and – noblesse oblige –
gardens. While we will take a spin around the Palace, we’ll focus on
the Gardens. All this active leisure will stimulate your appetite. Therefore, after visiting the Caprarola
Palace, we’ll head off in search of lunch. Several eateries boast local dishes, created with local produce and
products, which include – depending on the season – porcini (or other)
mushrooms, handmade pasta, hazelnuts, and some incredible wines which are
produced in such limited quantities that it’s impossible to find them in Rome! After lunch, our adventure will continue with Villa Lante in
the sleepy town of Bagnaia, in Viterbo’s shadow. Here, the wealthy Cardinal Gambara, Bishop of Viterbo and Head of the Inquisition, built his getaway. Yet its finely manicured grounds and the
Cardinal’s mania for lavish spending struck a sour note with the
Counter-Reformation pundit Carlo Borromeo and Pope Gregory XIII, who – after
visiting the grounds – is said to have suspended several of the Cardinal’s
allowances. As at Caprarola, it’s not the residence that interests us as
much as the grounds. We’ll explore small
cascades, a marble table with a natural wine cooler, the fountain of the River
Gods, the Grotto of the Deluge—a common motif in Renaissance gardens, which refers
to both classical and Biblical episodes, and other spectacular follies. At the end of the visit, after a coffee, a prosecco, or a
gelato, we’ll head back to Rome and, after about an hour and a half, we’ll
leave you at your hotel. Comments: given travel times and the itinerary, this a FULL
full-day. Please plan on being away from Rome for 9 or
10 hours. The itinerary can also be modified if visitors are
interested in other attractions in the area (like Viterbo’s spa, the Medieval
churches of sleepy Tuscania, etc.) Tickets come to euro 5 for Villa Lante and euro 5 for Palazzo Farnese. There is a one-time euro 20 reservation fee for the gardens
of Palazzo Farnese.
Renaissance Gardens in and Near Viterbo: Villa Lante and Palazzo Farnese
