A perfect example of a patrician villa, popular among the tourists due to the frescoes by Renaissance masters, including Raphael and Peruzzi.
Salone delle Prospettive in Villa Farnesina
In 1507 a prosperous banker Agostino Chigi commissioned the building of his new residence to Baldassare Peruzzi. With managing the funds of Pope Jukius II and Pope Leo X, Chigi became one of th richest and most influential people of Rome. He was also an art lover with a particular sentiment to Ancient Greece and his house was constructed to resemble the ancient villa, where he would hold the intellectual meetings and poetry readings. Siena born Peruzzi was an architect known for his theater decorations. He decorated himself several walls of the villa with frescoes.
The artist commissioned several mythological frescoes for the Room of Galatea, but the most spectacular is Salone delle Prospettive on the upper floor of Villa Farnesina. On the walls Peruzzi created illusionist painting with marble columns and the landscape of Rome.
The tiles on the painting are exactly the same like the real floor making impression that there is a real window and open space behind.
Another fresco was done by Sebastiano del Piombo. It shows Polyphemeus trying to impress Galatea with his love songs.
The sea nymph Galatea became the protagonist of another fresco painted in a room adjacent to a loggia by Raphael. On the fresco known as Triumph of Galatea he painted the portrait of a young girl without a particular person as a model, but his vision of a perfect beauty, as the artist confessed himself.
The ceiling of the loggia depicting Cupid and Psyche has been commissioned by Raphael and his pupils, including Giovanni da Udine. Contemporary to the artist Vasari says that most of the work was done by the students, as the master was busy romancing with a girl from nearby bakery, but it was an usual practice, that the practicing painters were preparing underlay and basic colours and the master was finishing the work with final, sublime strokes.
The bedroom, Sala delle Nozze was adorned by another Sienese artist Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, known as Sodoma. He did the cycle of frescoes depicting the most glorious moments from Life of Alexander the Great.
In 1580 the villa has been aquired by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese and later became known as ‘La Farnesina’. Since 1944 it belongs to Accademia dei Lincei and today displays the collection of paintings and murals. You can make a joined visit to Villa Farnesina and the opposite Palazzo Corsini with the Botanical Garden by purchasing a single entry ticket valid for three venues.
Another opportunity to admire the Renaissance interiors is during one of regular concerts of old music hosted in Villa Farnesina.
Concerts of classical music in Villa Farnesina
Music and Myth in Raphael Frescoes
Tuesday, May 22nd 2012. 11:00 other datesVenue: Villa Farnesina, Rome
Visit the beautiful "Villa Farnesina" and enjoy Renaissance music performed on historical instruments!
See all the concerts in Rome.
Villa Farnesina
Via della Lungara 230
Trastevere, Rome
Phone:06/68027268
Opening hours:
9am–1pm ( Mon–Sat )
[ photo courtesy of prilfish]
