Villa Favorita, Ercolano, 18th-century royal villa in Ercolano, Italy
Villa Favorita in Ercolano is an 18th-century royal residence with two distinct facades: one facing the street and another opening toward spacious gardens with views of the surrounding landscape. The structure combines neoclassical design with grounds that follow the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.
Construction of this villa began in 1762 when Prince Giuseppe Beretta commissioned architect Ferdinando Fuga to design this royal residence. The building arose during a period of aristocratic expansion in the area around Mount Vesuvius.
The rooms inside display various artistic themes, from Etruscan motifs to Biblical narratives, with frescoes painted by artists such as Andrea Giusti and Domenico Ascione. This decoration reflects aristocratic taste and made each room its own work of art.
The villa sits along the Miglio d'Oro route, which connects multiple historical residences on the eastern slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Visitors can follow this path to explore several aristocratic homes in one day and compare the architecture and gardens of each.
Between 1879 and 1885, exiled Egyptian Khedive Isma'il Pasha lived here and added Moorish decorative elements to several apartment rooms. This unexpected historical connection links the villa to Oriental art traditions.
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