Palazzo Restituti is on the ancient Via Diretta and reflects the late Renaissance style. The work on the building, constructed from pre-existing medieval houses, started between 1574 and 1575, probably a project of Vignola. The ashlar portal (stone door surround) and the facade are attributed to Giacomo del Duca, who was active in Caprarola between 1584 and 1586. The completion of the work dates back, as can be seen by the epigraph above the door, to 1586. The building still has the coat of arms of the commissioning families, Lattanzio and Pompey Restituti, whose members held prominent public positions from 1556.
The hospital was built between 1495 and 1497 on the initiative of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Discipline with the help of the Riario family. Constructed on the site of a pre-existing church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, the hospital was, in turn, dedicated to the same saint. It was built on two floors, with two large rooms, one for men on the first floor and one for women on the second. The staff consisted of two chaplains, a surgeon, a nurse for men and one for women. During the urban renewal by Vignola and the construction of Palazzo Farnese, alterations were also made to the hospital as is made evident by the payment, in 1572, of about 1000 crowns to the foreman “Scarpapede”. After Vignola’s death, work was entrusted to Giovanni Antonio Garzoni, who modified the subdivision of the rooms and replaced the spiral staircase with a ramp. Whilst assisting the sick, the hospital also ran a pawnbroker’s and a kindergarten. The Brotherhood was only dissolved in 1979. After the restoration work carried out in the 1990s, the building was intended to be a nursing home for the elderly. Inside, it has well-preserved wall paintings like the one depicting the Holy Family and St. John the Baptist as a child. In the living room there are two valuable frescoes from the late sixteenth century: the Crucifixion and the Pietà, similar to the one painted by Federico Zuccari in a chapel of Palazzo Farnese.
Via Filippo Nicolai, previously known as Via Diritta, is the main road that runs through the urban centre of Caprarola. Designed by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, the road was built between 1557 and 1564 during the construction of Palazzo Farnese. The village spreads out to the right and left of the road which ends in the square where the Palazzo stands. Via Diritta is about 680 meters long. Its construction involved the raising of the level of the road, the building of major bridges and new stately homes and the renovation of existing homes. To allow access to the new elevated road, several subways and hilly streets were also built, some with staircases. The new buildings overlooking Via Diritta gradually increase in quality as they approach the Palazzo, an indication that the more affluent preferred the houses near the Palace.
Turning to the hill Palazzo Farnese stands on, you can see two flights of stairs and a large square below one of the most impressive buildings that has ever been built in Italy. Isolated but, at the same time, harmoniously integrated with the surrounding area, visually connected to the town and dominant over it, the Palace is framed by the Via Diretta which widens as it leads into the square in front of the main facade. The building was commissioned, in the 1520s, by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the future Pope Paul III. Designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Baldassare Peruzzi, it was conceived as a fortress of pentagonal shape, with scarp walls, huge corner bastions and a moat. Its construction was interrupted around 1534 by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese’s appointment as Pope. The resumption of work took place about twenty years later thanks to the eldest grandson of Pope Paul III, who was also Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. His intention was to make his grandfather’s fortress a sumptuous and magnificent residence, entrusting the design to Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. In 1573, the year of the architect’s death, the building, considered his masterpiece, was nearly complete. Respecting the pentagonal base, the interior spaces are spread over five floors around a circular courtyard. The best painters of the day worked inside the sumptuous residence and, the themes of the frescoes were inspired by the scholar, Annibal Caro.
Opening times
8:30am to 7:30pm (last entry 6:45pm)
The park closes one hour before sunset.
Park hours detail
January: last entry 3pm (closing 4pm)
February: last admission 3:30pm (closing time 4:30pm)
March*: last entry 4pm (closing 5pm)
April through September: last admission 6pm (closing 7pm)
October*: last admission 5pm (closing time 6pm)
November and December: last admission 3pm (closing time 4pm)
*Until summer/solar time change.
Closed:Mondays
Jan. 1, Dec. 25 except for special openings on MiC project.
In case of inclement weather, the park remains closed.
Tickets:Full € 10.00
Full at closed park € 8.00
Reduced € 2.00 (EU citizens 18 to 25 years old)
Free (0 to 18 years old)
Additional concessions and free admission can be found on the Mic website.
Tickets can be purchased in cash at the museum ticket office.
The introduction of electronic payment is being completed.
According to Decree Law June 1, 2023, No. 61, Art. 14, extended by Decree Law Aug. 10, 2023, No. 105, Art. 10, from June 15 to Dec. 15, the indicated rates will be increased by 1 euro to support the flooded areas of Emilia Romagna.
Visits:Free visit. Presence of information panels in Italian and English.
Groups of maximum 35 people plus guide are allowed to enter. The use of radio guidance systems (whisper) is recommended and mandatory for groups over 25 people.
For Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, reservations are required for groups at the dedicated number +39 0761 646052, Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm.
Length of visit:About 2 hours
Tips for your visit:It is recommended to arrange the visit taking into account the access times to the park.
Inside the gardens and monumental park, it is recommended to wear comfortable footwear suitable for paths with unevenness and unevenness.
It is possible to take photos without flash and without a tripod for personal use only.
Animals are prohibited except guide dogs for the blind and service dogs for people with disabilities.
There are vending machines for water, snacks and hot drinks at the ticket office.
How to get there:By car – from Rome: exit Cassia Veientana of the GRA. From the A1 highway: exit Magliano Sabina (for those coming from the south), exit Attigliano or Orte (for those coming from the north).
By bus – direct connections from Rome-Saxa Rubra or from Viterbo and surrounding areas.
Parking:There are free and paid parking lots in the immediate vicinity, as well as a multi-story parking lot at 99 Pietro Belli Street.
A bus and RV parking lot is located about 500 m from the museum.
Access:For visitors with reduced mobility, there is a dedicated entrance on Via San Rocco, which gives direct access to the Piano Nobile and the Winter Garden (please contact +39 0761 646052 before arrival).
This large rectangular building to the west of Palazzo Farnese, whose internal walls measure about 100 meters in length, 15 meters in width and 20 meters height, once housed the stables of the Palazzo. On the outside there is a monumental entrance oriented towards the Palazzo consisting of an Imperial staircase in the Baroque style. Completed in 1585 it was built to stable about 120 horses. It also had areas used as barns and garages for carriages, as well as housing for grooms and squires. During the twentieth century the former stables were used as the site of a summer holiday camp, but after careful restoration it has become a multipurpose centre for events and conferences, and is the headquarters of the State Institution for Hotel and Catering.
