Art Nouveau Rome: Villa Torlonia & Coppedé Private Tour – Rome, Italy

EXPERIENCE:

Enjoy a half-day private tour of Villa Torlonia, just 10 minutes by taxi from Rome city center, and discover an early 19th century house, built for a rich banking family ennobled by the pope a century earlier.

Your guide will tell you the villa’s history, including when it became the home of Mussolini in the 1930s. The separate bedrooms he and his wife Rachele used are on the upper floor of the Villino Nobile, although the original furniture has gone. The basement also provided access to 2 bunkers that Mussolini built, one as a bomb shelter and the other as a gas shelter.

Marvel at the extravagant House of the Owls, former residence of Prince Giovanni Torlonia the Younger until his death in 1938. Set at the edge of the park in a discrete location, the house was intended as a refuge from the formality of the main residence. Its architecture is the result of a series of transformations and additions planned by different architects with artisanal or industrial materials.

Learn about the rich decorations of the 2 internal levels, finished with artistic sculptures and furniture with pictorial effects. See some of the best examples of local stained glass and inlaid wood sourced from the local workshops of Rome.

Next, explore the Coppedé neighborhood and discover one of the best residential areas in Rome. As you walk, your guide will point out the fantastic Art Nouveau architecture designed by Gino Coppedé, and more.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Visit the Casino Nobile, built for a prince of the Torlonia family in the 19th century
Admire the “House of the Owls” in the stained glass windows at the decorative arts museum
Explore the magical kingdom of Piazza Mincio at the Coppedè Quarter
Discover one of the finest residential neighborhoods of Rome

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