Explore #192: Villa Rosa aka Palazzo L, Italy – October 2016

Explore #5 of the ‘128mb SD Card Tour’

Late in the afternoon we explored this grand old villa on the outskirts of a small village in the Italian countryside.

History
The villa dates back to at least the 18th century, and underwent two large revisions over its history. The original entrance overlooks the gardens and pond, but as the nearby village developed over time the service entrance became used as the main façade. The second revision to the architecture was in the Neoclassical style.

At the end of the 18th century the estate passed to a local Count, whose family collected and adorned the villa with many valuable works of art and precious local ceramics and furniture. However, the family later fell on hard times, and the villa was sold to a local lawyer in the 1860s. Records of the sale indicate that many of the opulent furnishings had already been sold by that time.

As the villa passed through various other owners parts of the grounds were sold off, until it was bought in the 1930s by a renowned painter who restored the villa and its remaining gardens over the next two decades. It was raided by partisans during the war (due to a hidden stash of alcohol!), but the owners returned after the war.

However, the decline of the villa began when ownership passed to a Swiss company in the late 1950s, and it has lain empty and disused for many years. In recent years it was declared a National Monument, but despite being put up for sale there appears little sign of a buyer.

Our Explore
By the time we arrived the best of the late afternoon light had already gone. But we did bump into some other Brit explorers who we knew (small world!), so chatted to them, grabbed a few shots, and decided to rejig our plans to enable a revisit in better light first thing the next morning.

As always, click on a photo to launch slideshow viewer

Wandering Dan in his standard photobombing mode. 😛

 The grand central hall.

The rooms were largely stripped, with only the décor on the walls and ceilings harking back to former glories…

On the very top floor I ventured through the attic and came across this beautiful old room which looked out onto the front balcony.

The view from the balcony onto what was originally the tradesmen’s entrance, but later became the main façade.

The roof overlooking the gardens to the rear of the villa.

 The only item left behind!

 The main hall, viewed from upstairs.

 A huge crack running up a side wall of the hall.

 Subject to availability this photo can be purchased as a limited edition acrylic print from my Etsy Store.

 At the top of the stairs.

The beautiful porch of what was once the main entrance, overlooking the now overgrown garden.

Despite being stripped of all furniture, this was still a beautiful old place, and I’m glad we made the effort to drive back to it to shoot it in daylight!

Thanks for stopping by.
Adam X