BAGNAIA.

Bagnaia is a hamlet of Viterbo located on the stretch of the Via Francigena that passes through the fabulous Cimini Mountains.

The town is famous for its mannerist garden Villa Lante, a 16th-century architectural jewel, probably designed by Vignola.

Bagnaia has always belonged to popes and cardinals, who elected it as a resting place, especially in the Renaissance period, when Villa Lante and other sumptuous aristocratic residences were built and the town’s urban layout was reorganized, with the facades of the most important palaces adorned with the coats of arms of the papal and cardinal families.
A single gateway-gallery leads to the historic center, where a majestic cylindrical tower stands out in front of the ancient medieval castle, later transformed into a baronial palace with an elegant loggia.

The villa, commissioned by Cardinal Gianfrancesco Gambara in 1566, is one of the flagships of Tuscia, with its Italian-style garden, numerous fountains and water features.

The overall design unfolds on the steep hillside where two elegant twin mansions act as backdrops to the geometric garden and its artistic fountains. The greenery of the garden and park and the imaginative water features form a harmonious and striking whole.

Past the gateway is the Pegasus Fountain, the winged horse whose hoof beats cause water to gush from the rock.
From above Muses and Graces, in a semicircle, blow water into the pond while four Nereids spray it upward, competing with Pegasus.

The steps to the left of this fountain lead to the Italian Garden; the narrow road to the right leads to the Park. The Park is a thicket of huge centuries-old elks that hide numerous other fountains and water features.

Of notable importance are:

The Conservone, a large pool for collecting and distributing water, created during the time of Cardinal Ridolfi;

The Leoncini Fountain, a delightful peperino work commissioned by Cardinal Montalto;
The Hunting Lodge erected in the “Barco” at the time of the Bishop of Viterbo Ottaviano Riario;
The Neviera or Well of Snow wanted by Cardinal Montalto to keep drinks at an ice-cold temperature.
The Fountain of the Moors
The Chain Fountain
The Fountain of the Flood
The Fountain of the Moors