Villa York, Private historic villa in Valle dei Casali, Rome, Italy
Villa York is a Baroque villa on a hilltop in the Valle dei Casali, entered from via di Bravetta 725. Its rectangular three-storey body has a raised central block framed by two circular turrets, and a monumental staircase descends toward a circular nymphaeum, answered by a mirrored counter-nymphaeum. The enclosure wall holds a Roman altar from the villa of Lucius Fabius Pollio.
The property was first developed in 1647 by Zenobio Baldinotti on former Church land, and later passed into the hands of Cardinal Henry Benedict, Duke of York. This change in ownership gave the estate the name it still carries today.
The villa displays Baroque architecture designed by Pietro Paolo Drei, with paintings by Giovanni Ulisse Cariaci from the late 1600s adorning its rooms. These artistic elements reflect the tastes and craftsmanship of that era.
The property is available for private events and gatherings across its indoor and outdoor areas. It is not open to casual visitors, so arranging access in advance is necessary before planning a visit.
In 1937 Luigi Pirandello chose Villa York as a setting for the film Il fu Mattia Pascal, adapted from his novel; the terrace above the monumental garden staircase served as the scene of Mattia Pascal's wedding dinner.
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