The Villa Farnesina
(picture from www.abcroma.com)
This villa's interior was commissioned as the country house for Agostino "il Magnifico" Chigi, once the wealthiest man in Rome. Now located in the Zone of Trastevere, an active part of the city, and sitting on the Tiber River, it holds some of the most famous wall frescoes in art history. Giulio Romano's mannerist style can be seen here as well as some of the earliest examples of Trompe-l'œil, and several of Raphael's greatest works, including the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche.
An interesting story: Chigi used to hold extravagant dinner parties for his friends, served with gold and silver dinnerware. At the end of the parties he would casually order his guests to toss these extravagant articles into the Tiber after every meal. The guests would gasp at his careless wealth not knowing that after every meal his servants would retrieve the items from a net that Chigi had placed in the river.
An interesting fact: This estate has history dating to antiquity; It was once was the country villa of Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra stayed here in 44 B.C. with their illegitimate child, Caesarion.
For the Leisurely Traveler: It's easiest to arrive here by a taxi. The streets of Trastevere are very meandering and one can get lost fairly easy even though the Villa Farnesina can be seen from the main road.
Grandma, Mom, Aunt Carol, and Paul
outside the Villa Farnesina
Info:
The address is Via d. Lungara 230, Rome.
Hours of operation are Mon-Sat 9am-1pm.
Admission is 5€ ($8) adults, 4€ ($6.40) under 18 years of age.
Below I've provided some links for further reading:
- Frommer's: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/rome/A26278.html#ixzz0kMtIaOOb
- The New York Times Travel Guide: http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/rome/26278/villa-farnesina/attraction-detail.html
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