Caprarola

Caprarola is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. The village is situated in a range of volcanic hills known as the Cimini Mounts. The city's chief claim to fame is the large Renaissance mansion or villa which dominates the surrounding country-side, Villa Farnese (or Villa Caprarola). History Palazzo Farnese was initially built as a fortress, as the town and the surrounding area was a feud of the House of Farnese, by the cardinal Alessandro Farnese senio in 1530, according to a project of the architect Antonio da Sangallo, one of the most important architects of the time. After only four years the project came to an halt when the cardinal was elected pope in 1534 under the name Paul III.