Villa Carpegna, 17th-century villa in Aurelio district, Rome, Italy
Villa Carpegna is a 17th-century estate in Rome's Aurelio district, featuring a main residence, a water feature called a Nymphaeum, and spacious grounds planted with oak and pine trees. The layout follows the typical arrangement of a Roman villa complex, with buildings and open spaces forming a connected whole.
Cardinal Gaspare Carpegna acquired the vineyard property in 1684 and hired architect Giovanni Antonio de Rossi to design and build the main structures. Centuries later, the city of Rome converted it into a public park in 1978, opening it to visitors permanently.
The main building displays remarkable frescoes by Pier Francesco Garoli that show the family's estates in the Montefeltro region, connecting this place to their properties far from Rome.
The site is open to the public and has walking paths through tree-filled grounds, so allow time to explore the entire property. Wearing comfortable shoes and visiting during mild weather helps since the paths wind through natural terrain.
The water feature called Grotta dell'Asino has Baroque staircases and an ornate arched entrance decorated with carved details. This underground structure shows how important water displays were to villas of this era.
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