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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Page revised in May 2012.
To the Italian visitors of my web site
Duchy of Castro Gradoli, Grotte, Capodimonte and Marta
(Tower at Marta before a recent restoration)

For a historical background on the Duchy of Castro see page one.

Gradoli

Page-costume
(left) Main gate; (right) detail of the fountain which resembles those of Viterbo

Similar to other small towns of the region, Gradoli was founded in ca 1000 on a hill protected by a ravine which made it easily defensible. Gradoli was controlled by Orvieto and it was not until the XIVth century that Cardinal Albornoz was able to restore papal authority in the region.

Gradoli
(left) S. Maria Maddalena and Palazzo Farnese; (right) main stairs of Palazzo Farnese

The Farnese acquired some rights to Gradoli during the XVth century and in 1513 Pope Leo X formally assigned the town to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese seniore who had supported his election. In that same year Cardinal Farnese arranged the marriage of Pier Luigi, his eldest son, to Gerolama Orsini who belonged to one of the most ancient Roman families. Cardinal Farnese decided to build a stately palace at Gradoli for the couple and he commissioned its design to Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. At the time of the actual marriage in 1519 the palace was not yet ready and the couple set their residence at Valentano.
The church near the palace was redesigned in the XVIIIth century after the previous one was damaged by fire.

Gradoli
(left) Rear side of Palazzo Farnese; (centre) decoration of a hall; (right) Farnese page costume

In 1534 Cardinal Farnese became Pope Paul III and he managed to appoint Pier Luigi Duke of Castro in 1537 and Duke of Parma in 1545. The palace at Gradoli was used as the summer residence by the pope himself and by other members of the Farnese family. Today it houses the town hall of Gradoli and a small museum about the Farnese.

Gradoli
Coats of arms of the Farnese associated with heraldic symbols of the Orsini (five petal rose) and of the Aldobrandini (stars and stripes) because in 1600 Ranuccio I Farnese Duke of Castro married Margherita Aldobrandini, a relative of Clement VIII, the reigning pope.

Grotte

Grotte
Views of Grotte

Grotte is a small town to the north of Gradoli which was acquired by the Farnese in 1537. Its name means caves and it is a reference to the fact that its first inhabitants lived in houses cut into the rock. This was not unusual as it occurred in many other locations throughout Latium. Eventually during the Farnese government living conditions improved and a large church was erected on the site of the old settlement.

Capodimonte

Capodimonte
View of Capodimonte

Today Lake Bolsena (named after the town on the eastern side of the lake) attracts sunbathers from all of Europe, but in the XIXth century its shores were renowned for malaria. This was due to a rise in the water level in the XVIIIth century which caused several marshes, a very favourable environment for the mosquitoes which spread the disease.

Capodimonte
(left) Clock Tower; (right) walls

Capodimonte (Top of the Mountain) stands on a small promontory on the south-western coast of Lake Bolsena. Similar to Gradoli it was acquired by the Farnese in the XVth century. The access to the small town which stood on the very tip of the promontory was protected by walls and towers.

Capodimonte
Palazzo Farnese

The fortifications of Capodimonte included a small octagonal castle which was redesigned by Antonio da Sangallo and where the Farnese entertained their guests including Pope Gregory XIII. The building was bought in 1805 by a local wealthy family to whom it still belongs.
The image used as background for this page shows the Farnese fleur-de-lys and the Orsini rose on the portal of the parish church of Capodimonte.

Isola Bisentina
Isola Bisentina seen from Capodimonte

Bisentium was a town to the west of Capodimonte which was completely abandoned at the beginning of the XIXth century because of malaria. It gave its name to a small island which stood opposite it. Some historians believe that a horrible underground prison for heretics referred to by Dante (Paradiso - Canto IX) was situated on the island. The Farnese disregarded this sinister memory and built yet another palace there together with a series of funerary chapels.

Marta

Entrance to Marta
(left) Entrance to Marta; (right) tower

Marta was the easternmost possession of the Farnese along the shores of Lake Bolsena as Pope Paul III vainly tried to acquire nearby Montefiascone which would have given him control over Via Cassia, the route to Rome from the north. The (much restored) Farnese Palace gave access to the small town which was protected by a high XIVth century tower.

View of Isola Martana
Through the mist of the past: Isola Martana seen from Marta

Marta gave its name to a small island which is associated with the death of Amalasunta, daughter of Theodoric, Ostrogothic King of Italy. After the death of her father she reigned in the name of her young son Athalaric. At the death of the latter she tried to continue in her own name, but she was forced to associate her cousin to the throne. She was charged with plotting with Byzantine Emperor Justinian and imprisoned on Isola Martana where she was strangled a few months after. The killing of Amalasunta started the Greek-Gothic War.

Various coats of arms
Various coats of arms of the Farnese in buildings of Marta, some of which are associated with heraldic symbols of the Orsini and an inscription of the Sforza (a daughter of Pope Paul III married a Sforza di Santafiora; their heirs added the Farnese fleur-de-lys to their heraldic symbols - see Palazzo Sforza at nearby Proceno)

 Return to page one: Farnese, Ischia, Cellere and Valentano



Pages on towns of Latium other than Rome In the Duchy of Castro: Farnese, Ischia di Castro, Valentano, Gradoli, Capodimonte, Marta In Maremma: Corneto (Tarquinia), Montalto, Canino A Pilgrim's Way: Via Francigena: Acquapendente, Bolsena, Montefiascone In and about Viterbo: Viterbo, Bagnoregio, S. Martino al Cimino, Tuscania, Bomarzo, S. Maria della Querce, Bagnaia, Orte, Vasanello, Vitorchiano From Civitavecchia to Civita Castellana: Civitavecchia, Tolfa, Allumiere, Oriolo Romano, Capranica, Sutri, Bassano, Monterosi, Nepi, Castel d'Elia, Civita Castellana From Bracciano to Viterbo: Manziana, Canale Monterano, Vejano, Barbarano, Blera, Vetralla Around Monte Cimino: Ronciglione, Caprarola, Carbognano, Fabrica, Corchiano, Vignanello, Vallerano, Soriano The Bracciano Lake: Bracciano, Trevignano, Anguillara At the foot of Monte Soratte: S. Oreste, Rignano, Faleria Land of the Romans' wives: Montopoli, Poggio Mirteto, Casperia, Cantalupo, Roccantica Sentinels on the Highway: Fiano Romano, Civitella S. Paolo, Nazzano, Torrita Tiberina, Filacciano, Ponzano Along Via Aurelia: Palidoro, Palo, S. Severa and S. Marinella A Walk to Malborghetto: Prima Porta, Malborghetto Branching off Via Cassia: S. Maria di Galeria, Formello, Isola Farnese To Nomentum and beyond: Mentana, Monterotondo, Palombara A Walk to Ponte di Nona: ancient monuments along Via Prenestina Via Appia Antica A short and delicious digression: Tivoli, Montecompatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Frascati, Grottaferrata, Marino, Castelgandolfo, Albano, Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri, Nemi, Rocca di Papa, Rocca Priora, Civita Lavinia (Lanuvio), Porto, Ostia Where the painters found their models: Anticoli Corrado, Castelmadama, Vicovaro, Arsoli Subiaco The Roman Campagna: Palestrina, Genazzano, Paliano, Anagni The Ernici Mountains: Ferentino, Alatri The Volsci Mountains: Valmontone, Colonna, Segni, Norma, Cori On the Latin Shores: Anzio, Nettuno, Torre Astura On the edge of the marsh: Sermoneta, Sezze, Priverno Circe's Cape: S. Felice, Terracina Veroli Branching off Via Flaminia: Riano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Morlupo, Leprignano (Capena)

Latium was enlarged in the 1920s with territories from the neighbouring regions: the map on the left shows the current borders of Latium; the map on the right has links to pages covering towns of historical Latium: in order to see them you must hover and click on the dots.

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