One of the most beautiful pieces of ancient renaissance architecture in Rome; the Villa Farnesina rightfully claims its place amongst the city’s top attractions. Built in a startlingly unconventional style it has a central block, two wings and two floors unlike traditional Palazzos. Almost all the best artists of the reigning renaissance era had worked on the villa including Sodoma, Raphael, Peruzzi and Sebastiano Del Piombo and visiting the Villa is an opportunity to experience their work. The villa has seen many generations of occupancy but the original owner; Agostino Chigi rightfully claims his place as one of the most interesting Roman characters.
History
The villa was created between 1506 to 1510 for Agostino Chigi who was a wealthy Sienese banker and the personal treasurer of Pope Julius II. Chigi ….the owner of the Villa Farnesina was so incredibly influential that he was honoured by the title ‘il Magnifico’. He was on close terms with Pope Leo X and the latter got Chigi married to his long-time mistress Androsia as well as baptized Chigi’s illegitimate son….the fellow was even named Lorenzo Leone after the Pope.
The Villa was created as a suburban idyllic escape (in those times it was a little removed from the main city). Chigi wanted a place not too far from the city (as he wanted to conduct his business regularly) and not too near the city (he stayed at the Villa with his mistress whom he later married). Also he wanted to create a Villa that was unparalleled in its architectural beauty and richness of furnishings; a testament to his wealth, power and aesthetic sense. History says that the Villa Farnesina fulfilled all his ambitions!!
It was Baldassare Peruzzi (the pupil of Bramante) and Giuliano da Sangallo who conceptualised the villa design…. which was starkly different from an urban palazzo design in the Roman world. Chigi had commissioned the best artists of those times like Giulio Romano, Raphael, Sebastiano del Piombo and Sodoma to work on the fresco decorations for his villa. Raphael’s frescoes on the ground floor i.e. cupid and psyche meets and Galatea’s triumph were made famous with time.
Peruzzi the famous Roman architect and painter was quite young when he created the Villa Farnesina and the success of this project enabled him to be selected as one of the architects of St. Peters. He now lies buried besides Raphael in the Pantheon… a symbol of his power and popularity. Large formal gardens (cedars, laurels, bergamots and evergreens) and stables surrounded the Villa Farnesina though the Villa had a business purpose as well. The building was close to the city centre and it allowed Chigi to return to the city at whichever time he desired.
Also the Chigi household used the Villa for entertaining noblemen, popes, cardinals etc. in a setting of wealth and elegance. It’s said that comedy shows and musical nights were held at the Villa and it was the jewel in the crown of Roman social life. Lavish banquets took place at the Villa and in one of them Chigi’s stables were decked up with tapestries and objects of art fooling guests into believing that it was a banquet hall. On another such occasion, used silver plates were instructed to be thrown into the Tiber after dinner so that Chigi family could display their enormous wealth.
The villa was brought by the Farnese family headed by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese in 1577 and hence got its name. In the 16th century Michelangelo proposed linking the Villa Farnesina to the other side of the Tiber via a bridge. The back of palazzo farnese still has a few arches as the project was initiated but unfortunately never reached its conclusion. Later the villa passed on to the hands of Bourbons of Naples and then in 1861 to the hands of Spanish ambassador in Rome i.e. Bermudez de Castro who was the Duke of Ripalta. The Villa Farmesi is now a property of the Italian government and it hosts the Accademia Del Lincei which is a long running Roman academy of Sciences. Till 2007 the department of drawings and prints of Nazionale Istituto per la Grafica was housed here.
What to See and Do
Hall of Galatea
You need to spend at least 15 minutes in the Hall of Galatea to explore its unique charms. The reigning attraction of this hall is definitely the sensual sea nymph Galatea who is shown standing on a seashell that’s pulled by dolphins. A bevy of sea gods hover around her as the nymph laughs at the clumsy love song preferred to her by the ugly sea monster Polyphemus. The scene is taken from the Angelo Poliziano’s poem. Probably Botticelli’s famous ‘Birth of Venus’ was also inspired by the same poem. Galatea is frescoed by Raphael while Cyclops was frescoed by Sebastian Del Piombo.
Also note the mythological scenes containing lunettes that are obvious representations of Ovid’s Metamorphosis… also painted by Sebastiano Del Piombo. The main fresco of Galatea is flanked by delicate sceneries (these are later 17th century additions) that were painted by Gaspard Dughet and near the top of the wall there is a remarkable representation of the head of a young man… done up in charcoal. Art curators are still divided in their opinion… the work is either Peruzzi’s or Michelangelo’s.
The vaulted roof is another singular work of art; on it are the 12 zodiac signs depicted with the planetary gods in a combination that probably represents the natal chart of Chigi (he was born on 1 December 1466). The zodiac representation is probably the work of Peruzzi who was an astrologer of repute and it’s well documented that Chigi was a firm believer in Astrology. Most of the work in this beautiful hall were done by the great Italian masters in the 15th century. Visiting the hall of Galatea is an ideal chance to look at Raphael’s and his contemporaries work in relative solitude.
Don’t forget to peek out from the first floor windows… you will get a marvellous view of the gardens. While you are taking a fragrant walk under the laurel bower look out for the marble plaque that still bears the inception so arrogantly put there by Chigi. “Quisquis huc accedes: quod tibi horridum videtur mihi amoenum est; si placet, maneas, si taedet abeas, utrumque gratum”. Translated to English it means ‘if you are entering here and what you see seems horrid to you then remember that it is pleasant to me. Stay if you like or leave if you don’t… both options are equal to me!!”
Loggia Della Psyche
The ground floor of the villa has an entrance hall that leads to the celebrated Loggia della Psyche. The frescoes here were made by many of Raphael’s pupils like Giulio Romano, Raffaellino, Francesco Penni and Giovanni da Udine. This loggia was created in 1517… 5 years after the Galatea was painted. Raphael painted this space by decorating the large roof like a Pergola. Huge rampant garlands of beautiful fruit were painted by da Udine (but designed by Raphael) as dividers of the Pergola. Pope Leo X was so struck by these beautiful fruit garlands that he immediately commissioned Udine to paint the first floor Loggia of the Vatican with similar motifs. Raphael also designed two huge paintings masquerading as fine tapestries that stretched across the ceiling. Such is the perfection of the work that the straps and scalloped edges of the work are also visible.
The frescoes on the ceiling show scenes from the tales of Psyche and Cupid as demonstrated in the book ‘Metamorphosis’. One fresco shows Venus showing cupid her rival Psyche while another shows cupid talking to the 3 graces while yet another one shows Venus travelling on her chariot pulled by doves. The fresco stories reach their conclusion in the tapestries on the ceiling hat show scenes of the ‘Council’ and ‘Banquet of Gods’…..these show the wedding between Cupid and Psyche celebrated with great aplomb. Raphael designed all of it though the actual paintings were done by his pupils.
Note the marked absence of Christian imagery and any sacred theme in the Villa’s decoration. In fact the themes are predominantly eroticism, love and paganism… Renaissance effects that were then rare to find in Christianity dominated Rome. A major reason behind this choice of décor is that the primary function of the villa was to be a home for Chigi’s mistress and the site of lavish parties. Presumably the host Chigi didn’t want any references of either Christ or the almighty father in his palace of pleasure.
Hall of the Frieze
This room was intended to host official ceremonies like will readings and property documentation and also to be a waiting room for guests. It has a lovely Frieze created by Baldassarre Peruzzi that inspired its name. The Frieze supposedly exemplifies the virtues of Chigi by drawing an allegorical reference to the 12 labours of Hercules. There are other mythological scenes too with lots of Ovidian imagery.
Hall of Perspectives
The Sala delle Prospettive upstairs is the Hall in which Chigi’s grand wedding ceremony was held and it’s stupendous work on ‘perspectives’ makes it a rich destination for art students. Again, the work of Baldassarre Peruzzi… the art here continues the themes of the ground floor loggia. Through the imitation column you can see views of village standing on rock beds a serene country scenes while the background depicts a lit up sky and the city with its Church of the Holy Spirit, Basilica and the Porta Settimiana. The frescoes allowed Chigi to glimpse an idealised countryscape and cityscape at whatever time of the day….every day was beautiful from this angle. The optical illusion was however valid if one sat at a particular angle; it’s presumed that Chigi took some refreshments here and spent some time in reflection.
Look out for the Trompe l’oeil with its mythological figures and a larger than life frieze completes the decoration… art curators say that most of this work is done by Peruzzi’s students.
Incidentally around 1870 the remnants of an ancient villa (probably belonged to general Agrippa) were dug out and one of its miraculously intact halls was nicknamed ‘Villa della Farnesina’. This hall had walls covered in scenes representing gardens and the owners were probably made to believe that they were dining outdoors at any time of the day. The Villa della Farnesina has been accurately recreated and is on display at the Palazzo Massimo Terme in National Roman Museum. All this points out the fact the ‘optical illusion theme’ was a hot favourite in Roman interior design!!!
Alexander and Roxana’s Hall
This hall (right beside the Perspective Hall) is known for its north wall that as a remarkable fresco cycle depicting the wedding of Alexander and Roxana. This was believed to be Chigi’s bedroom and the Frescoes are rather sensual with scenes of Alexander the Great hurrying towards a semi naked Roxana who is flanked by a cherub and sits on the edge of a magnificent 4 poster bed. The painting was done in 1519 by the Verceli born painter ‘Sodoma’. Note the relative coarseness in the very next painting that shows Alexander’s generosity towards the mother and daughter of the vanquished Darius… this was probably the work of a less talented painter. The ceiling is filled with mythological paintings bearing some grotesque figures.
Pompeian Hall
This hall underlies the grand staircase and its decorations inspired by ancient models inspired its name. The hall is a product of the 19th century restoration of the villa by the Ripalta Duke Salvador Castro.
In the 16th century the Pompeian Hall was the landing for connecting flight with the kitchens (placed in basement) but it was approximately in the 19th century that Salvador Castro turned it into a hall by demolishing the stairs leading to the kitchen and erecting the current eastern wall. The offices of the president and general secretary (of Royal Italian academy) were hosted here.
Like other Roman buildings, the Villa Farnesina was also restored multiple times and the biggest restoration project took place in 1884. During this time in Rome boulevards and allies were built along the river Tiber and this caused great damage to the loggia facing the river and the villa garden. The restoration tools and pictures are displayed in a room inside the villa; this makes for an interesting stopover.
Gardens
A small strip of the north area of the garden remains while the main attraction is the secret garden that is at the back of the villa. A tall hedge acts as a barrier between the formal reception gardens and the more spontaneous back garden filled with plants that have been carefully cultivated to represent the original flora that bloomed when Agostino Chigi was alive. There are pines, poplars, cypresses, cedars and an abundance of oleanders and orange trees along with some exotic fruit species. Viburnum and laurels dot the space and in the spring and summers it becomes easier to observe the black caps, blue and great tits roam around in the garden.
Nature lovers will be charmed to see the abundance of butterflies like red admirals, swallowtails, cabbage whites flit around. Expect to see lots of roses, quinces, medlars, and the Acacia of Constantinople and Acacia Farnesiana ancient camellia. There is a wood full of laurels, ornamental citrus trees, cherry trees, oaks etc. at the periphery of the gardens. The horticultural department here has been particular about conforming to the 19th century design when sweet violets, irises, lilies and Hyacinthus lined up decoratively against the Aurelian walls….The Aurelian walls were the original boundary of the Farnese gardens.
Look out for the small but intriguing collection of archaeological finds like small statues, sarcophagi and some decorative objects that are laid out in the garden.
Open Hours, Tours & Tickets
The Villa Farnesina is open every day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Villa is open on every 2nd Sunday of the month from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gardens around the villa and the villa are open every second Sunday of each month from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The standard entry ticket to the Villa Farnesina costs 10 euros and that includes a moderately good audio guide. For teenagers between the age 14 to 18 and seniors over the age 65 there is a moderately reduced price of 9 euros. This ticket price does not include entry to the villa gardens…you need to pay an extra 2 euros to visit the garden. From Monday to Friday there is a garden guided visit too at 12.30pm. If you want to take an audio guide for the garden then that’s an extra 3 euros (available in Italian, English, German, French, Spanish).
You can find various options for entry and tours of Villa Farnesina (including combination tours with other attractions) and book online from this Viator site.
Kids under the age 10 and disabled visitors holding a valid disability certificate get free entry into Villa Farnesina.
Every second Sunday of the month there is an English guided tour offered by the Villa that includes a tour of the garden as well. The Ticket costs 12 euros and for 18 euros you get to attend a renaissance concert afterwards (if applicable).
The Villa has begun hosting period music concerts and art history tours though the schedule fluctuates; contact the number given below to know the performances of the upcoming season.
Phone: +39 06 68027268/397; Email: [email protected]
Present your Vatican museums ticket within 7 days after your museum visit at the Villa Farnesina ticket office and get an instant discount at the entry. The Villa Farnesina is pleasant and uncluttered and exploring it can rightfully claim about 2 hours of your time.
Location & Conveyance
The Villa Farnesina is on Via Della Lungara; it’s near the Botanical Gardens. If you are on a hop on hop off bus then get down at the Vatican stop and take a short stroll to the Villa.
From the Termini station you can take the bus H and then get down at the Piazza Belli stop. You need to then keep following the Tiber River in the direction of St. Peter’s Basilica until you run into the Trilussa square. From there you need to keep walking in the direction of Via di Santa Dorotea and then you will cross another Piazza that’s S Giovanni Della Malva after which keep walking along the street and then you will meet a crossroad. Pass underneath Porta Settimiana and you will get the Via Della Lungara.
You can also take the Line A metro from Termini station and then get down at Lepanto stop, then catch the bus 280 and get down at Lungotevere Farnesina i.e. stop 10. Follow the Tiber to your right and take the street Salita del Buon Pastore at the end of which you can take a left turn unto Via Della Lungara.
Via della Lungara, 230, 00165 Roma RM, Italy
Email: [email protected]; Phone: +39 06 68027397; Official Website
Once you are done visiting the beautiful Villa you should continue exploring some of the remarkable attractions that lie around. There is the Palazzo Corsini painting gallery and the Santa Maria del Popolo that holds the Chigi Chapel and the families elaborate tomb (again designed by Raphael and Bernini). Trastevere is an interesting neighbourhood to explore with its quaint cafes and bars. You can also pop into the nearby Vatican Borgo neighbourhood if you have time.
Lunching at one of the exquisite restaurants around is also a good idea. There is the Antico Arco (one of Rome’s best restaurants) perched next to the Janiculum hill that serves haute cuisine and a great wine list. There is Il Pagliaccio that serves fusion Italian food and the Glass Hostaria with its modernist décor and sophisticated cuisine. For more casual fare try Piperno that serves Jewish style fried artichokes and fried cod fish.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.