Explore the Castello del Gallo and the Giardini di Orazio in Mandela, where nature, history, and art blend harmoniously. An inspiration for the poet Horace and a stop on the Grand Tour, they offer breathtaking panoramas and a contemplative atmosphere.
Discover the Castello del Gallo, a monumental complex with Roman and medieval origins. Its strategic position along routes between Rome and the Adriatic and its control of 60% of Rome's drinking water once defined its importance. It also sits on the path to Subiaco, a spiritual centre founded by Saint Benedict.
Fortified by the Orsini family in the Middle Ages, the castle was transformed in the 17th century by the Nuñes-Sanchez into a stately residence frequented by Goethe and Winkelmann. In the 19th century, Julie Bonaparte and Marquis Alessandro del Gallo hosted a renowned literary salon here, welcoming figures like Franz Liszt and Gustave Eiffel.
Explore the 17th-century Italian Formal Garden, a “Paradise Garden” with geometric hedges that utilises ancient Roman cisterns for irrigation. Admire the Belvedere, offering panoramic views immortalised in Hackert's vedute.
Visit the baroque church of San Vincenzo Ferrer, designed by Girolamo Theodoli. It houses frescoes by artists from the Accademia di San Luca and a rare statue of the Virgin. Below, a crypt holds the tombs of the Nuñes-Sanchez and del Gallo families.
See the Romantic Gardens, enriched in the 19th century with a French-style grove inspired by Corot’s drawings, offering a cool, colourful retreat.
Wander through the English-style garden, which embodies the harmony between nature and art inspired by Lorrain and Poussin. Jakob Philipp Hackert found inspiration here for his “Ideallandschaft,” creating an aesthetic model for English-style parks across Europe.
To conclude your journey, indulge in a peaceful picnic in the heart of the English garden. Surrounded by the spontaneous beauty that inspired Hackert, you can savour local flavours while immersed in the same harmony that has enchanted artists for centuries.