Villa Farnesina is a museum that will be of interest to Renaissance connoisseurs and tourists alike. Here you can see what the residential house of a rich Roman family looked like in the 16th century. The villa is decorated with frescoes by Raphael (Raffaello Santi) and other famous artists.
At the very beginning of the 16th century (1506-1510), Baldassare Peruzzi, a famous Renaissance master, architect and artist, worked on the design of the building, which later became known as Villa Farnesina. The villa was originally built for the banker Agostino Chigi, who was known at the time for throwing noble feasts. The building was called the “Palazzo Chigi”. This rich man gave loans to the Popes Julius II and Leo X, as well as to the Medici and Borgia families. Chigi patronised Raphael, who took part in the decoration of the building. In 1577 the villa was acquired by Alessandro Farnese, whose name it still bears. He was a cardinal and also became famous as a patron of the arts and collector. The Farnese family had plans to connect the villa with their palace on the opposite bank of the river by a bridge. But this idea did not materialise. In the 18th century, the Bourbons became the owners of the villa. Nowadays Villa Farnesina belongs to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Most of the building is dedicated to the Museum of Architecture and Painting. On the upper floor, which is not open to the general public, there is the Institute of Graphic Arts, as well as the National Cabinet of Prints. The villa not only organises guided tours, but also regularly hosts concerts of early music.
Art lovers are sure to visit this small but uniquely important museum to see “The Triumph of Galatea” (Raphael), the cycle of frescoes “Cupid and Psyche” of the Raphael school (Francesco Penny, Giovanni da Udine, Giulio Romano), the Hall of Perspective (B. Peruzzi), The Wedding of Alexander of Macedonia (Sodoma).
Open on Sundays only, 25 December, 1 May
Museum opening hours: 09.00-14.00
