Villa Farnesina, Rome | Timings, Entry Fee, Photos, How to Reach

Villa Farnesina, Rome Overview

Villa Farnesina is a massive mansion built during the Renaissance Period (1505 - 1511) in the Trastevere district of Rome. The name of the villa is given in dedication to the one of the owners of the villa Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Villa Farnesina is not just known for its magnificent building, but also for the interiors and the decorations.

The villa faces a garden in which a fountain stands in the middle surrounded by colourful flowers. The monument consists of a total of two floors, and each room in the villa is decorated with frescoes, mosaics and paintings on the ceiling. Some of the famous ones are -

Meeting of the Gods
Wedding between Psyche and Cupid
Cupid and the Three Graces
Sala di Galatea
The marriage between Roxana and Alexander
The most popular room in the building is Sala delli Prospettive on the first floor in which the painting gives you the illusion of a marble colonnade in the sixteenth century.

History

The villa was originally built for a Sienese banker Agostino Chigi by the designers Baldassare Peruzzi and Giuliano da Sangallo. The interiors of the villa have been designed and decorated by some of the best artists of Italy - Raphael Sanzio, Giovanni da Udile, Giovanni Bazzi, Sebastiano del Piombo and Giovan Francesco Penni. The villa took 5 whole years to complete and was the venue for the biggest parties in Rome for the elite. After Chigi’s death, the building remained abandoned for years until Cardinal Farnese took over it. He restored the decayed villa and further decorated it with his collections of art. After that the villa was passed on to several families until it became a property of the State in 1927.

Tips

It is recommended to visit as early as possible as it gets getting crowder as the day proceeds.
Book a tour that will take you down the historical journey of this monument.

How to Reach Villa Farnesina

It is at a walking distance from these attractions:

Campo de Fiori : 300 m
Galleria Spada : 400 m
Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere : 450 m
Campo de' Fiori : 480 m
Piazza Navona : 500 m
Janiculum Hill 600 m
Museo di Roma 700 m