History palazzo farnese

Palazzo Farnese is certainly one of the most beautiful Renaissance homes in all of Europe, with its vaults, its gardens, its frescoes, considering for example that they cover approximately 6000 square meters of ceilings and walls on the two main floors. The palace was built in the apical part of the village of Caprarola, in the Tuscia Viterbo area. The straight road that leads to the palace, which literally cuts the small village in two, was designed by Vignola for scenographic purposes.

The Farnese palace in Caprarola is without a doubt the largest in size, including the other building, no less famous, in Piazza Farnese, in the center of Rome. The village of Caprarola is located about 500 m. above sea level, and is built on a tuff bank in an area that has always been hostile and difficult to penetrate, due to its impenetrable forest, the Cimina. Overlooking the village in its territory is the famous Lake Vico, a basin of volcanic origin, which legend has it was the consequence of a clubbing at the hands of Hercules. Taddeo Zuccari was responsible for the numerous frescoes representing mythological subjects, with esoteric references and contents that Annibal Caro had taken up in numerous documents, as he was a profound expert on the tendencies of Cardinal Farnese, such as the Room of the Dawn defined by some as 'a case of alchemical-hermetic decoration'.

Other well-known and unique decorations are the Hall of the Glories of Hercules, the Hall of the Council of Trent, the Hall of the Echo, the Room of the Globe and of the Farnese Glories. In the room of the Globe there is a still unknown reconstruction of the world. The underground floor which incorporates a ring corridor, is an example of functional architecture, created to facilitate the arrival of carriages and their guests, centrally consisting of an enormous pillar, in which the palace water drainage column is camouflaged and incorporated. a small curiosity are the hidden stairs, created for the servants to go from their quarters to the upper floors, perfectly camouflaged, so that the servants did not mix with the nobility!

Palazzo Farnese was built with a pentagonal plan and a central internal courtyard. The Palace is set on five floors, the basement, the so-called Piano dei Prelati, the Piano Nobile, the Piano dei Cavalieri and finally the Piano degli Staffieri. The facades reveal how the Palace is of considerable size with heights of 25 m that extend for 40 meters. Access to the Palace is divided into three areas, on the right the Armoury, on the left the well-known Scala Regia and in the center the internal courtyard with portico, from which it is possible to reach the rooms of the Prelates' Floor.

The eleven rooms of the Palace are accessed via the Portico. The most famous and best known rooms are the Summer Room, the Spring Room and the Jupiter room, and the Room of the Angels or Echoes. This room is renowned for some acoustic devices, which allow two people placed at opposite corners, while whispering, to make their words reach the ear of the one placed on the opposite side. A useful stratagem for the Farnese family to communicate undisturbed. Through the Helical Staircase, you reach the upper floor, designed by Vignola, a unique masterpiece with its thirty Doric columns, entirely frescoed. This is a true masterpiece designed by Vignola and is punctuated by 30 Doric columns and entirely frescoed.