Castello Ruspoli is a 16th-century castle in the town of

Vignanello Vignanello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Viterbo in the Italian region Latium, located about northwest of Rome and about southeast of Viterbo. Vignanello borders the following municipalities: Corchiano, Fabrica di Roma, Galle ...

Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, Italy. It continues to be the property of the

Ruspoli family The House of Ruspoli is historically one of the great aristocratic families of Rome, but is originally from Florence. Following World War II and the fall of Fascism, the newly established Italian Republic officially abolished titles and hereditary ...

, an old and noble Italian family. It is well known for its

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

-era ''

Giardino all'italiana The Italian garden (or giardino all'italiana () is best known for a number of large Italian Renaissance gardens which have survived in something like their original form. In the history of gardening, during the Renaissance, Italy had the most ...

''.

History

In 1531,

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

awarded Vignanello as a

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...

to Beatrice Farnese. Her daughter, Ottavia, married Sforza Marescotti, and the Farnese

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

confirmed the fief and elevated the couple to the first count and countess of Vignanello. The castle was built around 1574 as the seat of the count and countess, elaboration was attributed to

Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola ( , , ; 1 October 15077 July 1573), often simply called Vignola, was one of the great Italian architects of 16th century Mannerism. His two great masterpieces are the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Jesuits' Churc ...

. In the 17th century the Renaissance gardens were created by Ottavia

Orsini Orsini is a surname of Italian origin, originally derived from Latin ''ursinus'' ("bearlike") and originating as an epithet or sobriquet describing the name-bearer's purported strength. Notable people with the surname include the following: *Angel ...

who had married into the family. The gardens still stand and are one of the best preserved examples of an Italian Renaissance garden. The castle contains on the ground floor a chapel dedicated to Sister Giacinta, a Ruspoli family member who was canonized a Saint by

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

in 1807. The Ruspoli family was an influential Italian noble family with close connections to the Holy See. Francesco Maria Ruspoli, the 6th Count of Vignanello, was made the 1st Prince of Cerveteri, and the family has used the Princely title ever since. Many generations of the family lived at the castle in Vignanello, although the family had residences in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Cerveteri Cerveteri () is a town and ''comune'' of northern Lazio in the region of the Metropolitan City of Rome. Known by the ancient Romans as Caere, and previously by the Etruscans as Caisra or Cisra, and as Agylla (or ) by the Greeks, its modern name de ...

as well. The castle continues to be in the possession of the Ruspoli family and serves as a private residence, but is open for visits and events.

References

External links

Castello Ruspoli website

Elegant Etruria
{{coord missing, Italy Castles in Lazio Buildings and structures in the Province of Viterbo Buildings and structures completed in 1574

History

See also

References

External links