ROME'S “ALHAMBRA” RE-OPENS
After a 14-year long restoration, the Serra Moresca (the Moorish Conservatory), one of the jewels of the Villa Torlonia, Rome, is now available for visits.
The whimsical pavilion, set in the grounds of the Savoy royal abode and ex-residence of Mussolini, is a graceful building of peperino stone and wrought iron work, full of large windows of brilliantly coloured glass, one of a number of unusual buildings constructed in the grounds of the family villa by Prince Alessandro Torlonia in the 19th century.
Its unusual design, created by Venetian architect Giuseppe Jappelli in 1839, and decorated by Giacomo Capena, recalls the imagined vision of an Islamic building inspired by the “Arabian Nights” fairy tales, leading to its nickname of the “Roman Alhambra”.
Once a garden retreat full of exotic plants, it had been allowed to fall into disrepair for decades and its restoration proved particularly delicate and difficult.
The Serra will now be used as an exhibition and cultural activity space. The Villa Torlonia sits in a vast park. In addition to the splendid rooms of the villa itself, visitors can also visit the Casina della Civetta (Little Owl House) with a permanent exhibition of stained glass, the Prince's private Theatre, the Casino dei Principi (Princes' Lodge), the Limonaia (Lemon Grove), now a restaurant, and the war-time bunker for Mussolini and his family.
Info: Tel. 060608 www.museivillatorlonia.it
