Caprarola

Cardinal Alessandro Farnese inherited a half-built pentagonal fortress and had Vignola turn it into a palace from 1559 without changing the five-sided plan, so the building keeps a defensive footprint around a circular courtyard. The Scala Regia spirals up through the floors on thirty paired columns, built shallow and wide enough that horses could carry visitors to the piano nobile. Frescoes by the Zuccari brothers cover the state rooms, including a Room of the World Map with continents as then known and a ceiling of constellations. Behind the palace, formal gardens climb to a summer casino with a water chain and stone figures.

What you actually see

• The pentagonal plan - a palace built on fortress foundations.
• The Scala Regia - a spiral staircase on thirty columns, ridable by horse.
• The Map Room - continents and constellations frescoed by the Zuccari.
• The upper gardens - a water chain and casino above the palace.

When to go

April to October; the palace closes Mondays and the upper gardens are shown only at set times on guided visits. Summer weekends are busiest.

Honest expectations

The upper gardens require a separate timed guided visit with limited slots. Some state rooms may be closed. The town below is steep and parking is awkward.

Nearby

Viterbo lies northwest; Lake Vico is close.