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Palazzo Gherardi in Caprarola: the residence of the Farnese "minister" on Via Diritta
In Caprarola, at the end of the celebrated Via Diritta, stands Palazzo Gherardi, today the Town Hall. Many notice it for its position, almost a counterpoint to the more majestic Palazzo Farnese that dominates the other end of the street. Its history is bound to a key figure of the 16th century, Mattia Gherardi, a man of power who sought a residence worthy of his rank.
A powerful man in the service of the Farnese
Mattia Gherardi was not a nobleman by birth. He was a civil servant, but of the highest order: Postmaster General of the Papal States for forty years, appointed by Pope Paul III Farnese. A strategic role. And it was he who supervised the works on the colossal Palazzo Farnese construction site. For this very reason, around 1573, he decided to build his personal residence here, in a style that recalled that of Vignola, the architect of the Farnese.
From residence to convent to town hall
The life of the palazzo changed quickly. As early as 1602, the building was purchased by the Confraternity of the Cross and Discipline, which turned it into a convent. After its annexation to the Kingdom of Italy, the building was confiscated, and eventually became the municipal seat we see today. Of the 16th-century residence, the basic structure survives — though heavily remodelled — along with the fine rusticated portal, its stones unworked and in relief.
Being the Town Hall of Caprarola, the palazzo is not a museum with ticketed entry. Its external façade and portal can be admired at any time.
