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Drago Palace in Bolsena: frescoes, loggias and gardens overlooking the lake
At the steepest point of the old part of town, Palazzo del Drago — originally known as Palazzo Crispo — extends across nearly half a hectare on multiple levels, combining the appearance of a fortress with that of a noble residence. It was commissioned by Cardinal Tiberio Crispo, who transformed a collection of pre-existing buildings into a complex of loggias, grand halls, hanging gardens and terraces overlooking Lake Bolsena.
A construction in two phases
The works proceeded in two phases. In the first (1533–1544), Crispo entrusted the project to Raffaello da Montelupo and Simone Mosca, who connected the existing structures. Pope Paul III personally suggested adding the Loggia Paolina, as Crispo recalls in a letter. In the second phase (1554–1561), the "Torrazzo" was built — another wing of the palace designed by Tommaso di Giacomo Bevilacqua da Bissone, later replaced by Giulio Merisi da Caravaggio. This section features a Serlian loggia and a spiral staircase.
The frescoes of Prospero Fontana
Between 1559 and 1562, the Bolognese Mannerist painter Prospero Fontana decorated the palace's rooms. The Stanzino di Mosè (the Hall of Moses) is the only space with a religious theme, likely used as a private study by the cardinal.
From Crispo to the Princes of Drago
After Crispo's death, the palace passed on to the Spada Veralli Potenziani family, but underwent a period of neglect in the 19th century. In 1894, following the marriage between Ferdinando del Drago and Maria Angelica Spada Veralli, it definitively came into the hands of the Princes of Drago.
