Casina delle Civette, Art Nouveau house museum in Villa Torlonia, Italy
Casina delle Civette is a transformed rural house in Villa Torlonia with distinctive architectural features such as turrets and crenellations from a medieval revival style. The building contains two floors of exhibition space whose walls and ceilings are defined by artfully crafted stained glass windows.
The original structure was built in 1840 as a Swiss log cabin but underwent fundamental redesign in the early twentieth century. Its transformation into a castle-like building happened through alterations to form, roof, and facade that gave the house its distinctive look.
The stained glass windows showcase scenes from nature and mythological themes crafted by skilled artisans of the early twentieth century. Visitors can observe how carefully each detail was planned to shape the building's interior mood.
The building is readily accessible and provides entry for visitors with limited mobility throughout both museum levels. It works best to visit in the morning when light streams through the glass windows and decoration details become clearer to observe.
The house's name comes from owl motifs in the stained glass windows, particularly two stylized owls nestled among ivy vines. This symbol was not merely decorative but also reflected the artistic preferences of the family who inhabited it.
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