The prestigious British newspaper “The Guardian“, founded in 1821, chose to tell the story of an enchanting area of ​​our country, one of those destinations that captivates at first glance thanks to a tumult of scenic, cultural, artistic and naturalistic beauty.
It’s about Coughonce the land of the Etruscans, today the north of Lazio, not far from the capital: here, leaving aside the frenetic city, it opens up. a tour that leaves no one indifferent.
Nepi, a history of more than two millennia
Admiring the gentle hillside landscape from the top of the majestic fortress, it’s easy to see why board it was such a prized possession for Roman emperors, medieval popes and Renaissance dynasties. Defended on two sides by the channels of the rivers and in a dominant position on fertile agricultural land and abundant water sources, the splendid city, less than an hour from Rome (about fifty kilometers), contributed to the story for more than two millennia.
Walking through the streets of the village means, in fact, granting a “journey through the centuries” to discover treasures hidden at every corner, starting right from unmistakable Rocca with four imposing towers, commissioned in the 15th century by Rodrigo Borgiathen Pope Alexander VI, who gave it to his daughter Lucrezia in 1499. Later, it was the family. Farnese to take control, reinforcing the defensive role with a robust city wall.
Despite the abandonment that occurred after the death of the last heir, the Castle still retains its charm and, from the top of its walls, you can see the throne. Cavaterra Waterfallnear the second waterfall, that of Picchio.
In the center is, equally charming, the Duomo which, despite undergoing various restorations over the centuries, still preserves its original facade, while the interior surprises with its solemn atmosphere. U sarcophagus of San Romanoused as an altar, dominates the sacred space, while the walls are decorated by suggestive frescoes. One of these, so deep, gives the illusion of a dome that extends beyond the ceiling.
Not far from the Duomo, along Via Garibaldi, here is the elegant Municipality built during the Renaissance: striking for its elegant masonry facadeembellished with a central fountain. The interior, of extraordinary beauty, is a riot of depicting frescoes scenes from Olympus and infused the rooms with exceptional vitality.
Finally, you can’t help but discover the catacombs which, like Rome’s most famous subterranean chambers, were originally dug into the tuff for burial rather than secret religious meetings. The multi-story niches once housed about 1000 corpses. Some bones still remain, with faded paintings and black crosses marked on the walls by the smoke of oil lamps.
It is also worth noting the link that unites Nepi with the English: it is enough to think that the painter and the engraver JMW Turner he stayed there in 1819 and in 1828 he drew and painted several views (now in the Tate Gallery, London) of the cathedral, the castle, the 18th-century aqueduct and the nearby waterfall.
Castel Sant’Elia, wild beauty
A couple of kilometers, the small village of Castel Sant’Eliaon a tuff plateau immersed in a pleasant area rich in water and vegetation and punctuated by deep valleys known as line. Among these, the Suppentonia Valley stands out for its unique beauty: a pure rock facade, carved from ancient underground tombsdominates the landscape, gives an atmosphere of wild beauty. At the bottom of the valley, nature manifests itself with all its strength, where the bush makes its way between the steep slopes, deeply incised by the watercourse of Fosso della Ferriera.
In the center they stay 13th century fortificationsenriched by Renaissance bastions, which together with a intricate maze of alleys the houses, tells the long history of the village. Among the architectural testimonies, the 18th century stands out Villa dei Petretti while the spiritual essence is contained in the numerous churches: there are unmissable stages Rock church of San Leonardoobtained in a ridge of tuff, and the Parish Church guardian of the precious relics of the patron saints, Saint Anastasio and Saint Nonnoso.
But the two most significant monuments are located outside the walls: the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima in Rupes and the Basilica of Sant’Elia. The Sanctuary, part of the Franciscan complex of San Michele Arcangelo, can be reached through a tunnel dug in the rock, consisting of 144 steps, built with dedication by the hermit Rodio at the end of the 18th century. Inside the Holy Grotto, visitors can admire a precious 16th century canvas depicting the Virgin adoring the sleeping child on her lap. There is also a small neighbor collection of sacred vestments which dates from the 12th-14th century.
From there, a pleasant country road, known as the Road of the Saintsleads to the Basilica of Sant’Elia, built in the 8th century on an old Benedictine monastery, rebuilt in the 11th century and restored during the pontificate of Pius IX.
Caprarola and the enchantment of Palazzo Farnese
Caprarola, nestled in a splendid position on the Cimini mountain, is a perfect example of Renaissance urban planningthe result of the rationality and functionality that guided the urban planning of the period. Conceived following rigorous philosophical concepts, it was structured in such a way as to symbolically represent the distance between the people and the noble power. At the center of this architectural vision is the grandiose Farnese Palacea pentagonal residence that rises sumptuously at the top of via Dritta, the main axis that cuts the city in two, precisely traced bythe architect Vignola.
It is Vignola himself, commissioned by the powerful Farnese family, originally from Tuscia and owner of the fiefdom since the 16th century, to form Caprarola. To create the straight line of Via Dritta, he razed a series of houses in the old medieval village, creating a new face to the city, enriched by elegant patrician buildings and the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione.
The undisputed leader is, without a doubt, the Palazzo Farnese, built on the foundations of an ancient fortification. In addition to the magnificence of the villa, the architect designed the majestic terraced gardens, the stables (now transformed into a theater) and the hunting lodge, all elements that make Caprarola an authentic Renaissance jewel, where art and nature mix in full harmony.