Caprarola is a small hill town east of the Lago di Vico in the province of Viterbo. The main attraction of the town is the Palazzo Farnese, which towers above the historical centre.
Caprarola city guide
Tourist information
The address of the town hall is Via Filippo Nicolai, 2 – 01032 Caprarola. The postal code is 01032 and the area code is +39 076164901. The town has more than 5000 inhabitants.
By car/public transportation
By car from Rome: Take the Via Cassia to Capranica and then the Sp35.
By car from Viterbo: Follow the SP1 in southern direction and exit at San Rocco.
Public transport from Rome: There is a direct (Cotral) bus connection from Saxa Rubra.
Public transport from Viterbo: There is also a direct Cotral bus connection from the provincial capital.
A brief history of Caprarola
Although the name Caprarola is used for the first time in a document from 1223 referring to a “Confraternity of the Cross and the Discipline”, people lived in the area much earlier, as evidenced by the remains of stilt houses near Lago di Vico and Etruscan finds in the municipality of Barco. Like many other towns in the area, in the late Middle Ages Caprarola was alternately owned by a number of feudal landlords, including the Orsini, the Di Vico and the Anguillara. From the middle of the 15th century, the town was under papal rule.
Tourist attractions Caprarola
The Palazzo Farnese stands on the highest point of the hill on which the town is built. It is famous for its gardens, which were designed by Vignola, and the frescoes painted by Taddeo and Federico Zuccari. Other highlights are the Madonna della Consolazione Basilica, the San Michele Arcangelo Church and the Santa Teresa Church.