THIS TWO-HOUR VISIT includes a trip to the prince’s palace and public grounds, which became Mussolini’s home during WWII. We visit the bunker built under a reconstructed Etruscan tomb, and have a catered lunch with local wines in the Villa’s beautiful limonaia.
From its imperial beginnings, Rome has never been the pole-bearer of self restraint and moderation. Villa Torlonia is no exception. A magnificent example of neo-Classical architecture, it was commissioned by Giovanni Torlonia to display his wealth and power as immodestly as possible.
The villa was built in 1806 by the architect Giuseppe Valadier, already known for his major projects like Piazza del Popolo, the paths through the Forum and Fiumicino, the first planned suburb of Rome. But it was Alessandro, the youngest son of Giovanni, who took the villa to its current splendor by commissioning the landscaping of the grounds and acquiring major works of art. It was one of the earliest examples of the naturalistic garden in Rome, and a stroll around the grounds reveals a major part of the family's collection of statuary.
The villa is enhanced by a series of themed rooms, each one representing a particular architectural or decorative style ranging from Gothic to Egyptian, bringing the art of trompe l'oeil to eccentric levels. Of particular note is the bathroom of Alessandro's wife, princess Teresa Colonna, beautifully done in the "grotesque" style reminiscent of the Domus Aurea, as well as the Etruscan tomb, exact in every detail, used for Alessandro's secret masonic gatherings. In the 1920s it became Mussolini's home and, during this period, an underground bomb shelter was built where the original kitchens were located. Visiting this bunker makes the house tour a surreal experience.
Villa Torlonia is now a public park still in the process of restoration but the degree of perfection with which the main villa and a major part of the grounds have been brought back to life makes Villa Torlonia a must-see today.
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VILLA TORLONIA
