Villa Caprile, born as a holiday resort and receptions at the behest of the noble Giovanni Mosca, from an elitist place was transformed into a public place open to citizens during the French Revolution when Pesaro became part of the Cisalpine republic. In 1876 it became the seat of the practical School of Agriculture, which in 1924 became the Middle Agricultural School; today it welcomes the Agricultural Technical Institute. The botanical garden of the villa can be visited by the public who is still entertained by the spectacular eighteenth-century water games of invention.
Villa Caprile History
Villa Caprile and its park covering about 25 hectares overlook the city of Pesaro from Monte San Bartolo, inside the park which houses, in addition to the residence, other villas of great beauty, such as the sixteenth-century and very close Imperial Villa.
The construction dates back to 1640, the year in which the Marquis Giovanni Mosca decided to build a summer residence on the Caprile estate, probably transforming an existing structure. Giacomo Casanova, Stendhal, Carolina of Brunswick princess of Wales, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed here. During the Second World War it was occupied by the Germans who used it as an outpost on the Gothic Line.
There is a testimony of the previous arrangement in the travel diary of Monsignor Lancisi sent to the Duchy of Urbino by Pope Clement XI; the writings show the presence, already on that date, of water games in a complex form. Since 1763 the building has undergone significant additions commissioned by the Marquis Carlo Mosca and continued by his son Francesco; the first one was responsible for the reconstruction of the chapel. Always during the XVIII century. the greenery theater (recently restored) was built to accommodate Arcadian games.
In 1946, the restoration of all the plant elements was started, necessary following damage to the building during the Second World War.
The villa is divided into several terraced levels connected by stairways, three of which are occupied by gardens: the first garden, which houses the water features, is Italian with the large octagonal tank in the center, the second terrace was occupied by the pomarium with fruit plants.
Owned by the Province of Pesaro-Urbino, thanks to the Agricultural Institute and the commitment, passion and love of its many students and teachers, today Villa Caprile is an active cultural center, home to conferences, meetings and events, inserted in a context landscape of great beauty.
Visitors are guided through the many wonders of its park: from the historic Italian Gardens with the ancient water games active and well preserved, to the Secret Garden, with the Fountains of Atlas and the Tritons, the Verzura Theater, the Viale dei Tassi and the Rose Garden. On the main avenue there are classical busts and Etruscan vases, the main floor hall with the decorated ceiling, the ancient rooms, the Stucco Gallery and the neoclassical chapel of the Oratory of San Francesco, for a unique experience between nature and culture.