We would like to propose some places which you can visit in Central Italy, especially in the area of Rome, Tuscia (the Northers province of Lazio) and Tuscany. We hope to satisfy the tastes and curiosity of the people who would like to discover Lazio.

Each tour is one day long and the destination follow a theme or aspect of our art and culture.

THE RENAISSANCE IN TUSCIA: Farnese Palace (Caprarola, Viterbo) and Villa Lante (Bagnaia, Viterbo)

This tour is aimed at people who are particularly interested in the art and the architecture of the Renaissance period.

Farnese Palace

Designed by Antonio da Sangallo il giovane in the XVI Century, the town represents the power of the Farnese family and this influence over Caprarola. The palace was conceived as a fortress (exagonal plan, five defensive bastions on is corners and a moat). The rooms divide the buiding into two differents areas: the summer one situated to the North whilst, the winter one faces the west. The servant stairs, within the inner walls of the buiding, were designed to avoid any contact with the main rooms; the underground area, leading to the yard, allowed coaches and carriages to go in and out of the palace. On the ground floor there are frescoes: in the "Season Hall" the myth of Jupiter is portrayed and the Guards' Room (by Federico Zuccari) leads to the circular yard. The upper floor (for the nobility) is divided into two appartments. The winter one contains the Cardinal's bedrooms must not be missed and whose walls describe the history of the Farnese family through its wonderful frescoes.

Villa Lante

Villa Lante is one of the most important italian buildings of the XVI century. It contains wonderful lacunars, with stuccoes and frescoes portraying Villa d'Este, Farnese Palace, the Palace of Capodimonte and Villa Lante in its original state. The other villa is Palazzina Montalto, named after the Cardinal who authorized its contruction, it was completed at the end of the XVI century and is decorated with frescoes painted by several artists and marvellous lacunars. The lodges are placed symmetrically on the edges of a terrace inside Villa Lante. The paintings on the walls on the arcade portray the landscape of Caprarola with Farnese Palace and Villa del Barco. Next to these we can see the wiews of Villa d'Este and Villa Lante of Bagnaia, enriched by mythological figures and constellations above the buildings. The garden is designed from a central axis emphasized by a border containing running water. In the centre of the garden there is a majestic fountain with the Montalto symbol held up by the "Quattro Mori" which were created by Giambologna