The splendid ceilings of Tuscia

when visiting central Italy - look up!

Since the days of the Grand Tour visitors,including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Charles Dickens, noted in their diaries the things that most impressed them. Today visitors use their cameras, cell phones and even drones to capture what they want to remember: a landscape, works of art and architecture including beautiful painted ceilings.

Tuscia, the area north of Rome where I live, has some of the world’s most spectacular Renaissance ceilings- true works of art worthy of our admiration. These ceilings evolved from those simple wood-beamed ceilings such as this one in my companio Fulvio’s 12th century building, one of the oldest of Vetralla’s historic center. The huge chestnut beams have gained a warm patina over time and are so strong they have become almost petrified. When they were being cleaned and polished with beeswax and a Black & Decker, sparks were flying ! A secret hiding place for storing gold coins complete with metal door and key was discovered on one of the beams -unfortunately it was empty.

Note the supporting pieducci which prevented the beams from being dislodged during an earthquake. It wasn’t until 1570 after a massive earthquake shook Ferrara that architect Pirro Ligorio created buildings that could resist the trasversal forces of tremors.

Caprarola - by expat artist Justin Bradshaw (private collection)

Art historians agree that the first prize for the most beautiful ceilings in Tuscia goes to the original pentagon building, Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, created between 1520 and 1575 by the powerful Farnese family. It is a cornucopia of art, architecture and history, a jewel box of Renaisssance painting, magnificent gardens, rooms and splendid ceilings.

the magnifient spiral staircase of Palazzo Farnese

A visit to the five different levels -from the underground kitchens to the lofty loggia - includes several majestic rooms with painted ceilings. The Aurora room was the cardinal nepote’s bedroom, the room of the Fasti Farnesiani is covered with frescoes celebrating the family’s history and the superb Hercules room which was painted by Annibale Caro and the Zuccari brothers.

Here during the first world war the women of Caprarola prepared packages for the soldiers at the front under the direction of an eccentric American lady from Boston, Madame Baldwin, whose lover rented the palazzo for her at the time. This splendid hall has much to admire: the majestic fontana di Ercole, the original pavements and the marvelous loggia with views all the way back to Rome.

the indoor fountain of Hercules

The Mappamondo room is similar to the gallery of geographic maps in the Vatican Museums and boasts a ceiling fresco with the signs of the Zodiac.

Documents point to Raffaelino da Reggio as the most likely candidate for this masterpiece.

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers came from London to tell the story of Madame Baldwin’s daughter Gladys

The second most beautiful ceilings are found in Palazzo Doria Pamphili, San Martino al Cimino, set on the hills above Viterbo. This was the grandiose home of Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphili, (1591-1657) one of the most influential women of her day since she was Pope Innocent X’s sister-in-law (and lover). The ceilings of the reception rooms are covered with gilded stucco work and symbols of the Pamphili family.

ceiling details Palazzo Doria Pamphili , San Martino al Cimino

Donna Olimpia came to live in San Martino’s pure air to escape the dangers of the plague in Rome and had a delightful hamlet, the first example of town planning, built around her palazzo and the magnificent abbey church where she is buried.

Portrait of Olimpia by Velasquez auctioned recently at Sothebys

gilded symbols of the Pamphili family: doves, lilies and olive branches

Recommended reading: the biography of Gladys Deacon, “The Sphinx” by Hugo Vickers. The true story of Gladys,Madame Baldwin’s daughter, who lived at Palazzo Farnese and later became the Duchess of Marlborough.

“The Mistress of the Vatican”, by Eleanor Herman, biography of Olimpia Maidalchini.

See more books for travelers to central Italy https://www.romanroadwalks.com/book_reviews.php

Part II next week: more superb ceilings of Tuscia