Palazzo del Drago
Built on multiple levels covering approximately half a hectare, it combines the characteristics of a fortress and a noble residence, with loggias, halls, panoramic terraces, and a park of over 2,500 square meters.
Palazzo del Drago is an imposing sixteenth-century complex that dominates the northern part of the village of Bolsena, connecting to the Rocca Monaldeschi through an elaborate system of ramps, vaults, and stairs.
It was commissioned by Cardinal Tiberio Crispo, half-brother of Costanza Farnese and connected to the powerful family of Pope Paul III. The construction, developed in two phases, is intertwined with the periods when Crispo was governor of Bolsena.
During the first phase, Crispo entrusted the works to Raffaello da Montelupo and Simone Mosca, who coordinated several pre-existing buildings. From this period dates the Sala Grande, intended for ceremonial functions, and the refined Loggia Paolina or Farnesiana, adorned with a wooden ceiling featuring the papal coat of arms and the lilies of the Farnese.
The second phase saw the expansion of the Torrazzo, designed by Tommaso Bevilacqua and Giulio Merisi da Caravaggio, and decorated by Prospero Fontana, a Bolognese Mannerist painter. After Crispo’s death, the palace passed to the Spada Veralli Potenziani family, going through a long period of abandonment.
In 1894, with the marriage between Ferdinando del Drago and Maria Angelica Spada Veralli, it definitively became part of the del Drago family properties, who initiated a careful restoration. Today the palace, owned by Prince Ferdinando Fieschi Ravaschieri del Drago, preserves its Renaissance majesty intact and represents one of the most significant testimonies of sixteenth-century noble architecture in Lazio.
Plan Your Visit
Storyteller of the beauty, art, history and culture of Lake Bolsena and its surroundings, territories where I grew up and which I can share with the professionalism and passion of a local tour guide.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
Telling the story of this land is not just about unveiling secrets and frescoes, it is about returning the light that this lake and this town give me every day, with a devotion that transcends time.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
My teaching profession has refined my ability to communicate. You cannot teach or illustrate art and creation without sharing a passion for beauty with others. A guide is not a book—it is the synthesis of all books and meaningful experiences from which they have drawn their knowledge, in order to share history and stories with everyone.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
I believe being an ambassador for the place where you were born is a great privilege. Leading Italian and international visitors through the story of Bolsena's artistic, natural and cultural wonders is a stimulating experience that enriches your own knowledge while sharing it with others.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
Telling Bolsena's thousand-year history through dedicated guided tours means giving the town back to its people and helping visitors discover our remarkable cultural heritage.
9:00 AM / 7:00 PM
