Just a few kilometres from Viterbo, in Bagnaia, next to Cimini Mountains there is the astonishing Villa Lante, a perfect between nature and architecture in the Tuscia.
The Villa was built in 1200 by the Viterbo prelates, who were the Lord of Bagnaia. At the time the Villa was not completed and we have to wait 3 centuries to see it finished.
In the 1500 the cardinal Niccolò Ridolfi, grandson of Leone X, realized an aqueduct and for the first time water was introduced. Maybe he had already in mind to build great fountains.
Villa Lante Viterbo
Afterwards the cardinal Giovanni Francesco Gambara, decided to turn the garden in an amazing italian style garden. He put many well decorated fountains into the Vila. The works was finished after his death, by the cardinal Montalto, Sisto V's grondson, who named the two little towers.
In the middle of 1600 a new aqueduct was built and the Villa was bought by Lante family. This is the reason why it is called Villa Lante.
This family owned the building until the previous century, much longer compared with the previous owners.
Villa Lante Fountain
Many people thinks that all the works were done by Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, already famous for the Farnese Palace in Caprarola. Many others instead, thinks the Villa was built by Tommaso Ghinozzi because he built many other thing around the Bagnaia streets.
Villa Lante is a great example of the Renaissance architecture and a perfect mix between the beautiful nature and the human hand. Here you can admire beautiful gardens, unique terracing, ornamental hedges, statues and fountains.
Montalto Palace
The most appreciated things in Villa Lante by the tourist are the fountains. Nearly all the water goes through every fountain thanks to a well built aqueduct.
The following picture shows one of the best fountains in Vila, the Diluvio Fountain.
Diluvio Fountain
Other amazing fountains are: the giant fountain, the cardinal table (you can see it in the next picture), the chain fountain, the candle and the dolphins fountain.
The cardinal table
In the center of the garden, there is the "island" with the Mori's fountain where you can see a symbol which represents the Sisto V Pope.
Anyway the previous pictures show the beauty of Villa Lante in Bagnaia and if you are a tourist travelling around Tuscia this place is absolutely a must. You can miss it.
Really close to this amazing monuments you can visit even the Caprarola, Viterbo, and if you prefer nature you can visit some of the Tuscia lakes.
