Tuesday, September 8, 2020

PIGNETO VILLA

VILLA DEL PIGNETO

Via Ugo De Carolis/Via Mario Fascetti - Balduina - Destroyed

About 1630/36 by Pietro Berrettini aka Pietro da Cortona (1597/1669) for Cardinal Giulio Sacchetti or the Marquis Marcello Sacchetti. The dating is approximate

It was also known as VILLA SACCHETTI

It was decorated with frescoes depicting "Stories of David" by Pietro da Cortona himself

Since the eighteenth century it fell into disrepair and it was abandoned in 1747 by the Sacchetti family

"Even if small in size and inspired by various sources, the building was a milestone in the development of the concept of the Baroque style villa. The magnificent line, the grand staircases built with terraces, in order to emphasize the central dominant element and especially the projecting and rejecting curves that bind together stairs, terrace and building - everything was taken up and further developed by the following generations of architects" (Rudolf Wittkower)

Montesquieu, in his book Italian Journey, justified the abandonment with "the bad air coming from a valley below"

Probably the cause of the destruction was due to an aquifer under the building and the lack of money to continue the necessary restoration

In the early nineteenth century the villa was reduced to ruins covered with abundant vegetation

In 1859 the Sacchetti family sold the property to Alessandro Torlonia who finally demolished what was left of the main building

Today the ruins are still visible, partly underground and partly covered by a thick natural vegetation

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