Caprarola
01032 Caprarola (VT) mobiletext
Dominated by the prestigious Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola is a very picturesque ancient village crossed by the so-called 'Via Dritta', which rises from the foot of the hill like a long telescope, climbing a considerable height difference until reaching the square of the extraordinary pentagonal sixteenth-century palace.
Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who later became Pope Paul III, made it his headquarters, a tangible sign of prestige and power. The palace is accessed via two large staircases that lead to the imposing entrance terrace that dominates the surrounding countryside, offering splendid panoramic views.
Palazzo Farnese is a unique architectural jewel not to be missed, with its sumptuous reception rooms where the Cardinal welcomed nobles, musicians and men of letters; the magnificent frescoed spiral staircase that Alessandro Farnese climbed on horseback; the Sala del Mappamondo with its geographical maps depicting the then known world, still without Australia.
At the back, close to the palace, are the Giardini Bassi and, beyond a forest of silver firs, the Giardini Alti where a spectacle of sculptures, fountains, water games and boxwood mazes explodes. Here you reach the Casina del Piacere, where the Cardinal organized events to delight his guests, and from where you can enjoy an enviable view that sweeps over the village, the palace and the Roman countryside.
The medieval center of the town is divided into two districts, Corsica and Sardinia, separated by the long Via Dritta (now Via Nicolai) which was built to create a 'triumphal climb' to the Palace, and for whose construction it was necessary to gut the town in two. Here you will find a surprising variety of restaurants with a unique style and shops where you can buy the many typical products of the area, including the Nocciola Romana DOP, chestnuts, oils and wines.
Among the gastronomic specialties, hazelnut desserts also stand out, including tozzetti, amaretti, ciambelle, brutti e buoni, maritozzi and Easter pizzas, as well as hazelnut cream and chestnut cream.
Of great importance is the Hazelnut Festival, which at the end of August attracts thousands of people from Tuscia and beyond with tastings of hazelnut delights, shows, music, a parade of folk floats and fireworks.
The town is located on the Cimina variant of the Via Francigena, and also enjoys proximity to Lake Vico, a body of water of volcanic origin, located within a Nature Reserve that protects the forests of hazelnut, chestnut and beech trees in the ancient beech forest of the Cimini Mountains, declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
Inside the reserve there are equipped areas for rest and refreshment, easily passable roads and paths, along which you can rediscover a still uncontaminated environment.
This is a special place where nature lovers can relax with quiet walks in the greenery, and where adventure enthusiasts can go on excursions of varying difficulty, including the one to the Pozzo del Diavolo, a large cavity of volcanic origin and formed by solidified lava mass.
