2l8 



THE GARDENS OF ITALY. 



splendour from the power and influence of Giulia Farnese, the mistress of Pope Alexander 

 Borgia. Paul III finally established the fortunes of the House when he became Pope in 

 1534 ; grand ideas of nepotism being his most distinguished characteristic. He created 

 his nephew Prince of Parma and Piacenza, and, adding other Church lands, summed up the 

 whole in the dukedom of Castro, and until the death of Pier Luigi in 1547 tne ducal residence 

 was in Ronciglione. It appeared, however, to be more in the interests of the House that its 

 representative should live in the centre of this part of the estates, and Pier Luigi's eldest son, 



Cardinal Alexander II, 

 was therefore encouraged 

 to build the palace of 

 Caprarola. The state 

 rooms were decorated by 

 the brothers Zuccaro, 



J9^ftfc ^^^^^f" ^ Tcmpcsta, Pietro Bernini 



(the father of Lorenzo) 

 and other minor artists. 

 The three Zuccaro bro- 

 thers came from Urbino 

 in 1543 with the hope of 

 emulating their great 

 fellow-townsman 

 Raphael, and, apparently, 

 their talent satisfied the 

 taste of the day for decor- 

 ative work to an extent 

 which procured them all 

 the custom they could 

 desire. They constituted 

 a sort of firm which be- 

 came known as the 

 Zuccari. Taddeo was bv 



w 



thirty-seven years the 

 elder, and his is the best 

 work. He lies buried in 

 the Pantheon, with the 

 epitaph written by his 

 brother Federigo, ' In 

 death and in art resem- 

 bling Raphael." We need 

 not quarrel with this de- 

 finition, but content our- 

 selves with admitting the 

 appropriate feeling for 

 decoration which has 

 given such a rich, gay 

 and attractive appear- 

 ance to these great halls, 



231. THE BRIDGE FROM PALACE TO GARDEN ACROSS THE MOAT. 



where pictures relating to the power and grandeur of the Farnese are set in frameworks of 

 stucco looking like delicate lace, accompanied by airy and graceful " grotesques." 



These pictures are full of interest here, where all is so suggestive of the Farnese. The 

 walls of the great Council Chamber have frescoes of all the towns that belonged to the family, 

 Parma, Piacenza, Castro, Vignola, Scarpellino, Capo di Monte, Camina, Ronciglione, Fabrica, 

 Isola and Caprarola. The chapel has old stained-glass windows. Another hall, " the Hall 

 of the deeds of the Farnese," is given up to the great events of the House. The marriage of 



