Villa Aldini, Neoclassical villa on a hill in Bologna, Italy

Villa Aldini is a neoclassical building standing on the Osservanza hill with a facade featuring Ionic columns and a decorated pediment. The structure incorporates remains of a 12th-century church that functions as a circular reception hall inside.

Antonio Aldini, Napoleon's minister and plenipotentiary, had the villa built from 1811 to a design by Giuseppe Nadi, after Napoleon admired the view from the hill in 1805. Construction stopped in 1816. A private buyer who planned to demolish it bought it at auction in 1832; a citizens' committee saved it later that decade, and around 1842 architect Antonio Serra converted it into a place of worship.

The circular 12th-century church of the Madonna del Monte, called La Rotonda, survives at the rear and served as the villa's reception or dining room. The outer pediment carries Giacomo De Maria's decorations depicting Olympus, while the neoclassical interior rooms were frescoed by Felice Giani. Pier Paolo Pasolini, born in Bologna, filmed scenes of Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma in the main courtyard.

The hillside location offers wide views across Bologna and the surrounding area, so visiting on a clear day is worthwhile. The ground can be steep in places, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Construction halted in 1816, not with Napoleon's fall in 1814. In 1832 a private buyer won the villa at auction and began demolishing it for speculative profit; a citizens' committee bought it at the end of that decade, and around 1842 the Bolognese architect Antonio Serra converted it into a place of worship.