Interior view
by VIGNOLA, Giacomo da, Photo
The most extraordinary feature of the Villa Farnese is the perfectly round interior courtyard. This form had been considered for Caprarola by Sangallo and it had been used by Vignola himself in his Villa Cervini project, but such examples fail to anticipate the consummate power of this solution. The absolute geometry of the circle is in stark contrast to the shifting, ambiguous prospects of the pentagonal exterior.
The photo shows the view looking down into the round courtyard.