Villa Volpi, Neoclassical villa in Sabaudia, Italy.
Villa Volpi is a neoclassical villa on the Sabaudia dune facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, within Circeo National Park. It has two levels: a central block resembling a classical temple, surrounded by a colonnade, from which two side wings curve slightly forward. A scenographic staircase crosses the dune, giving access from the sea.
Countess Nathalie Volpi commissioned architect Tomaso Buzzi in 1952 to design this residence, named after her husband Giuseppe Volpi, founder of the Venice Film Festival. The house was built during a period when this coastal area was becoming a desirable location for residences.
The villa's name recalls Giuseppe Volpi, founder of the Venice Film Festival, and the frieze inscription on the entablature commemorates him as a patron of the arts. The building has appeared on screen in Divorce Italian Style, Per grazia ricevuta and Compagni di scuola, so its colonnade and sea-facing staircase are familiar to Italian cinema audiences.
Villa Volpi stands on the Sabaudia dune inside Circeo National Park, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. A scenographic staircase cut through the dune links the villa to the beach below, so the approach from the shore is on foot over sand and steps. The building itself is private and not open for visits.
The frieze inscription reads "IN MEMORIA DI GIVSEPPE VOLPI CONTE DI MISVRATA CVLTORE DELLE BELLE ARTI XIX XI MCMLIXAD", using classical V for U and dating the dedication to 1959, seven years after the villa was commissioned. Giuseppe Volpi had died in 1943, so the building was completed as a memorial to him by his widow Nathalie.
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