Stumbled Upon

August 23

More of the same, just a different spot on the same lake. We were on our own in this little cove for three hours. While this seems wonderfully romantic, there was the nagging thought, "Why aren't there any Italians here, too?" This deserted beach seemed the perfect spot...or was it?

Maybe it was just perfect for us. Us, the mud, and a bug-like fish they caught that kept them entertained.

Anyway...we had a lovely afternoon and then got in the rental car and drove to a town three miles away from Lake Vico called Caprarola. Here we are with our mini-car.

This is what we stumbled upon (I love the website stumbleupon.com - it takes your interests and finds websites that might interest you. Much like Italy. Interests: history, art, literature, architecture, etc. Stumbleupon might have placed us exactly where we were just now.)

We walked to the front of this building and simultaneously wowed. It's called Palazzo Farnese - just one of the country houses of the Farnese family, known for their banking connections. They were quite wealthy and, as this "country house" will demonstrate, they wanted their guests to know of their wealth and that consequent power that goes along with it.

I took this picture from a photo within the palace. It helps set the scene a bit and might give you a good sense of what we were about to see (the palace is the pentagon).

The palace was built and decorated from 1559-1575. I've never seen anything like it - there are detailed frescoes covering every inch of the walls and ceilings and mosaics covered the floors. It is just outrageous - it made our heads spin (or at least our necks ache from looking in every direction).

The photos just don't do it justice either. Each room had a different theme, as the Farnese family demonstrated their connections with Hercules (yes, Hercules - remember the creation of Lake Vico from yesterday?), various Popes, and Renaissance leaders of Europe that they did business with.

The map room had paintings of the world as the Renaissance knew it. Above you can see constellations.

And, a grotto outside to top it all off!

We really did stumble upon this. No prior preparation, guide book, or friendly recommendation. Serendipity at its best!