The Sforza palace dates back to the mid-sixteenth century and was built at the behest of Cardinal Guido Ascanio Sforza, Camerlengo of Santa Romana Church.
He had been granted control of Proceno for life. His family was to govern this village for many years.
On the palace you can see the coat of arms with the rampant lion, which was the heraldic animal of the Sforza of Santa Fiora, and the lilies of the Farnese family (the family to which the mother Constance who was the daughter of Pope Paul III) belonged.
The architect of the palace was Nanni di Baccio Bigio, a Florentine who had lived in Rome for a long time, even though it seems to have been designed directly by Sangallo.
Sangallo, however, is recognised to have designed the door of the building.
After Cardinal Ascanio, his brother Paolo became Marquis of Proceno and completed the construction of the building but it then suffered partial collapses in 1873 and 1890.
The palace appears to be a classic example of Renaissance architecture with three floors: one at ground level, the second one dedicated to the nobility with halls with frescoed vaults and coffered ceilings and the top one to services.
On the ground floor there is access to a courtyard with a travertine well and a terrace overlooking the Valle del Paglia.
Today the palace is owned by the municipality and is used for exhibitions and conferences while in the basement there are the rooms of the Museo della Civiltà Contadina.
Follow us