2i8 
THE GARDEXS 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 the 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, 
Tempesta, 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 by 
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 
231. — THE BRIDGE FROM p.tL.vcE TO GARDEN ACROSS THE MO.AT. attractive appear- 
ance to these great halls, 
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, Camilla, 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 
