Bomarzo, Villa Lante and Caprarola: Tuscia's Renaissance Gardens and Palaces

By Federico Francolini, Viterbo · Updated 27 October 2026

In the 16th century, the hills around Viterbo became a playground for some of the most powerful families and cardinals in Italy. They commissioned the leading architects of the day and created three places that are still extraordinary: the strange Sacro Bosco of Bomarzo, the harmonious water gardens of Villa Lante and the monumental Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola. All three are within about 30 km of each other, which makes them a perfect one- or two-day itinerary.

Bomarzo: the Sacro Bosco (“Monster Park”)

What it is

The Sacro Bosco (“Sacred Wood”) was created in the second half of the 16th century by Pier Francesco “Vicino” Orsini, lord of Bomarzo. Unlike the geometric gardens of his time, it is a wood scattered with huge sculptures carved directly from the boulders of local volcanic stone: giants fighting, a sea monster, an elephant carrying a tower, a dragon, a tortoise with a woman on its shell, and the famous Ogre’s mouth (Orco), its lips inscribed “Ogni pensiero vola” (“every thought flies”). There is also a leaning house, built deliberately tilted so that walking inside makes you dizzy.

Its meaning has puzzled visitors for centuries — a memorial to Orsini’s wife, an allegorical journey, a joke on the conventions of Renaissance gardens. Neglected for a long time, it was rediscovered in the 20th century, admired by artists and writers, and restored by private owners from the 1950s. It is still privately run today.

Practical information

According to the park’s official website, at the time of writing:

• Open every day of the year except 25 December, with continuous hours;
• November–February 9:00–17:00; March (from daylight saving time)–September 9:00–19:00; October 9:00–18:00 (17:00 after clocks change);
• Last entry one hour before closing;
• Tickets: adults €15, children 4–13 €9, under 4 free; group, school and university rates exist. Online booking by date and time slot is available.

Check before you go: prices and hours can change; confirm on sacrobosco.eu.

Allow 1h30–2h. Paths are earth and gravel and can be muddy after rain. There’s a restaurant at the entrance. It’s a fantastic visit with children.

Getting there: Bomarzo is just off the A1 (Attigliano exit, then about 6 km) and the Orte–Viterbo road (Bomarzo exit). By public transport, take a train to Orte and then a Cotral bus towards Bomarzo; the park is a walk from the village. Bus services are limited, so check Cotral in advance.

Villa Lante, Bagnaia

What it is

In the village of Bagnaia, a few kilometres east of Viterbo, Villa Lante is one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance garden. It was created for Cardinal Gianfrancesco Gambara in the later 16th century, and the design is traditionally attributed to Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola. Instead of one grand palace, there are two twin small buildings (palazzine), leaving the garden as the true protagonist.

Water is the narrative. It springs in the woods at the top, flows through a grotto and a fountain of the Deluge, runs down a stone water chain shaped like a crayfish (a pun on the Gambara name — gambero means crayfish), fills the long Cardinal’s Table where wine was cooled in running water, and ends in the great square Fountain of the Moors in a parterre of box hedges. It’s a garden to walk slowly, top to bottom, following the water.

Practical information

Villa Lante is a state-run site of the Italian Ministry of Culture.

Check before you go: like many state sites it is typically closed one day a week (often Monday), and garden access or the park may have different hours by season. Confirm current hours and prices on the official Ministry of Culture website before visiting.

Allow about 1 hour. Bagnaia’s small medieval centre, just outside the gates, is worth a short walk.

Getting there: from Viterbo, local buses run to Bagnaia; it’s also a short taxi ride. By car, about 15 minutes from Viterbo; parking nearby.

Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola

What it is

Caprarola is a small town in the Cimini hills, and it was essentially reshaped around a single building. Palazzo Farnese began as a pentagonal fortress started by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, and was transformed from the 1550s into a magnificent residence for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III, by Vignola. A straight road climbs through the town to the palace, which dominates it.

Inside, the highlights include:

• the Scala Regia, a spectacular spiral staircase on columns, painted with frescoes;
• the circular inner courtyard inside the five-sided plan;
• the Sala del Mappamondo, with large painted maps of the known world and a ceiling of constellations;
• rooms frescoed with the deeds of the Farnese family, by artists including Taddeo and Federico Zuccari;
• the gardens behind the palace, linked by bridges, and further up the upper garden with the casino (palazzina) — check what is open on the day.

Practical information

Palazzo Farnese is also a state site managed by the Ministry of Culture.

Check before you go: confirm opening days (one weekly closing day is usual), hours, ticket price and whether the gardens are open on the day of your visit, using the Ministry’s official site.

Allow 1h30–2h including the gardens.

Getting there: Caprarola is about 1h15 from Rome by car via the Via Cassia. Cotral buses connect Caprarola with Viterbo and with Rome (Saxa Rubra); check timetables. From Caprarola, the Lago di Vico nature reserve is a few minutes away — see our lakes guide.

One-day itinerary (by car)

• 9:00 – Caprarola: Palazzo Farnese at opening time.
• 11:30 – Lake Vico: a short stop at a viewpoint or by the shore.
• 13:00 – Lunch in Viterbo or Bagnaia.
• 14:30 – Villa Lante, Bagnaia.
• 16:00 – Bomarzo, Sacro Bosco (check last entry time, especially in winter).
• Evening: soak at Viterbo’s free hot springs — see our hot springs guide.

Without a car, split it into two days and base yourself in Viterbo: one day for Villa Lante and Bomarzo, one for Caprarola and Lake Vico, or join an organised tour.

Which one if you only have time for one?

• With children, or if you love the weird: Bomarzo.
• Garden lovers: Villa Lante.
• Architecture and frescoes: Palazzo Farnese.

All three show the same world from different angles: Renaissance patrons using stone, water and paint to display power, learning and wit.

Tips

• Combine with lunch in a local trattoria: the Cimini hills are famous for hazelnuts and chestnuts.
• Spring (April–June) is the best time for the gardens; autumn brings beautiful colours in the woods around Bomarzo and Lake Vico.
• Bring cash for small purchases and parking, although cards are widely accepted.

In short

• Sacro Bosco, Bomarzo: private; open daily except 25 December; adults €15 at the time of writing.
• Villa Lante, Bagnaia: state-run Renaissance water garden; check weekly closing day.
• Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola: Vignola’s pentagonal palace; check hours and garden access.
• All within about 30 km; one long day by car or two days by bus from Viterbo.