Palace of Vitelli in St Egidio
The Vitelli in Sant'Egidio Palace is a splendid building ordered by Paolo II Vitelli, a wellknown army leader in the service of the Pope and the King of Spain, in the middle of the sixteenth century. It is beautiful testament of the town's importance during the Renaissance and also the Tiferno power dynasty which obtained important political rule in Europe. The entire building nowadays represents one of the most important sixteenth century building's in Italy, also because of its integrity. Probably it was designed by Vasari in the Tuscan style, mainly using wide portico vaults and elegant decorations while other facade detail goes back over Ammannati.
On the main floor of the Palace there is a superb mannerism decoration that certifies many works (1572/1574) made by staff from Emilia specialised in the grotesque, guided by the painter Prospero Fontana in collaboration with Pomarancio. The rear facade overlooks the remains of a beautiful garden (with caves and stalactites) created in the Italian style and also nearby there is a small live oak, box tree and laurel wood. The wood is bordered by many building annexes among which the Madonna della Neve an ex-church (built in the sixteenth century and renovated in the seventeenth) with its old walls, in ninphaeum architectonic style, and with fourteen, 16th century terracotta statues representing the Virtues. The beautiful Small Palace Vitelli completes the compound.