Villa Farnesina

Frommer's Review

Agostino "il Magnifico" Chigi (1465-1520), the richest man in Europe, once lived in this sumptuous villa built for him by the architect Baldassare Peruzzi between 1508 and 1511. Some of Rome's grandest feasts and parties, the likes of which were unknown since the days of imperial Rome, were staged here, often for popes, diplomats, artists, philosophers, and even high-priced courtesans. The Siennese banker would order his guests to toss their gold and silver plates into the Tiber after every course. Unknown to the guests, the savvy banker had placed nets under the water so that he could retrieve his treasures.

Even before this outrageous banker came to live here, the site was famous. Once it was the country villa of Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra stayed here in 44 B.C. with their illegitimate child, Caesarion.

Chigi was Raphael's patron and friend, and he called upon this great artist to help decorate part of his villa, along with such towering figures as Francesco Penni, Giulo Romano, Sebastian del Piombo, and "Il Sodoma" (so called because of his sexual practices). Together these artists created a series of paintings that stand as one of the treasures of the Renaissance, especially the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche.

Also stunning is the Galatea from 1511 -- Raphael painted Nereus's sea-maiden riding in a shell drawn by pug-nosed dolphins in a frolicking romp. Paintings depicting scenes from Ovid's Metamorphoses are by Sebastiano del Piombo; frescoes of the constellations on the ceiling are by Baldasarre Peruzzi.

Upstairs you can see Peruzzi's masterful Salone delle Prospettive, an early example of trompe l'oeil views of Rome and Il Sodoma's masterpiece Scenes from the Life of Alexander the Great.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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