CARDINAL'S PLEASURE HOUSE REVIVES
The newly restored Loggia del Vino (a domed pavilion set in the Villa Borghese Park in
Rome) has been the setting for a series of contemporary art installations created by a team of international artists. The project has been named “Lavinia” in honour of Lavinia Fontana, a woman artist of the Renaissance, whose works are part of the Borghese Gallery collection.
The Loggia del Vino is a 17th century “folly”, built between 1612-1618 by the architect Flaminio Ponzio for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, Pope Paolo V's nephew. It was connected with the Cardinal's palace by underground passages and was used for convivial evenings of wine and feasting in a cool summer setting for the pleasure of Borghese's guests.
The Loggia had been closed for many years while restoration has proceeded by stages, bringing back to life the charming central fresco of the Banquet of the Gods, by Archita Ricci. Some decorative elements can no longer be recovered, such as the sculptures of sphinxes, acquired in the 19th century by the Ny Glyptotek of Copenhagen.
At the moment, the building is open to the public.
Info; Tel. 060608 www.sovraintendenzaroma