General view

The art-historical importance of the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, near Viterbo, is the famous pentagonal ground plan and round interior courtyard, and the interior frescoes. The Palazzo was built for Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1520-1589) who was made cardinal by his grandfather Pope Paul III (1468-1549), and named vice chancellor of the Holy Roman Church a year later, according him the highest position after that of the pope in the ecclesiastical hierarchy. The architect of the construction of the palace was Giacomo da Vignola.

The commission for the interior decoration went to Taddeo Zuccaro, who was to make drawings and cartoons for the painting and stucco work but he had to work there only to review from time to time the work that had been carried out there. He largely assigned the execution to others, in particular his brother Federico. After the death of Taddeo Zuccaro in 1566, his younger brother Federico continued the work until 1569. His successor was Jacopo Bertoia, then Giovanni de’ Vecchi, assisted by Raffaellino da Reggio.

The Sala degli Angeli on the piano nobile is decorated with religious themes. In 1572 Jacopo Bertoia depicted the Fall of the Angels on the vault but did not work further on the room. Only two years later was the room finished by Giovanni de’ Vecchi with the depiction of various angelic appearances.