Musei di Villa Torlonia, Museum complex in Rome, Italy

The Musei di Villa Torlonia occupy several buildings on the Villa Torlonia estate in Rome. The Casino Nobile, remodeled by Giuseppe Valadier around 1802 and given a large pronaos by Giovan Battista Caretti between 1835 and 1840, houses the Museo della Villa on its two reception floors and the Museo della Scuola Romana on the second floor. Nearby, the Casino dei Principi holds the Scuola Romana archive and temporary exhibitions, while the Casina delle Civette, designed in 1839 by Giuseppe Jappelli as a Swiss hut and rebuilt as an eclectic villino in the early 1900s, displays polychrome stained glass made mostly by Cesare Picchiarini between 1910 and 1925.

The villa began in the early 1800s as a private residence for the wealthy Torlonia banking family and was later used as a residence by Mussolini. This connection shaped the site's history until the end of World War Two.

The Casina delle Civette displays stained glass and Art Nouveau decoration, showing how wealthy families adorned their homes with craftsmanship and style. This collection reflects the tastes of Rome's upper classes in the early 1900s.

The grounds are easy to navigate, with pathways leading through the different buildings and garden areas, and most spaces are accessible for visitors with reduced mobility. It is wise to wear comfortable shoes and allow time for a walk through the park.

The underground rooms of the Casino Nobile were built as a gas shelter and an anti-aircraft bunker when Benito Mussolini rented the villa as his private residence from 1925 to 1943. They can be visited by reservation, and the bunker is a detail many visitors walk past.