Villas and Gardens of the Roman Countryside

With its combination of landscaping, architecture, sculpture and painting, villa and garden design has often been claimed as the most complete of art forms - a veritable multimedia culture, and nowhere is this more richly demonstrated that in the Roman campagna. From classical times through to the Renaissance, the Baroque, and up to the present day the Lazio countryside has offered a rich body of work that has been both ground breaking and intentionally thought-provoking.

Some are calm oases hidden behind the walls of Rome's busy streets, others are rural retreats where the emperors and cardinals went to escape the congestion and bustle of the city. All are famous for their beauty; and each in their different ways set out to instil in the viewer the virtues of Nature – qualities that straddled notions of leisure (villegiatura), art, philosophy, religion, as well as the prevailing politics of the time. 

Visits include Lake Bolsena, Villa d'Este, Hadrian's Villa, the Gardens of Ninfa, Parco del Mostri at Bomarzo and Villa Lante at Bagnaia. 

ITINERARY

Day 1: Fly from London Heathrow to Rome.
On arrival transfer by coach to Bolsena (approx. 2 hours) and the Royal Hotel for check-in. Tonight Peter will give a lecture then enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Villa Lante at Bagnaia, then lunch with the principessa at Castello Ruspoli
The garden at Villa Lante was designed for Cardinal Gambara, who had a taste for outdoor living and wished to extol his place as thinker, churchman and land owner.  Perfectly proportioned and richly detailed, it features cascades, fountains, grottoes and classical sculptures, all with the aim of chronicling the passage from base nature to an eventual enlightenment.
We then drive to the beautiful Renaissance parterre garden at Castello Ruspoli at the top of the hill town of Vignanello. A highlight of the visit will be lunch hosted by the principessa, with  dishes made from produce fresh from the estate.
On our return to the hotel stop to visit the church of Madonna della Quercia (Mary of the Oak Tree), a micro-example of the commitment to nature and religious belief.

Day 3: Parco del Mostri at Bomarzo, then Isola Bisentina
The Parco del Mostri (Park of Monsters) was devised by the architect Pirro Ligorio in the 16th century and is full of grotesque sculptures and mysterious small buildings conveying a narrative that continues to be the object of interpretation. It fell into disrepair over the centuries until 1954 when it was bought by Giovanni Bettini who has maintained it ever since. Salvador Dali made a short film about the gardens and based a painting on it which helped promote the restoration of the gardens.
After an independent lunch in Montefiascone, we coach back to Lake Bolsena to take a boat trip to the Isola Bisentina to view this famous garden island. Evening lecture from Peter tonight, then dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 4: Frascati 
Depart by coach to Frascati for three night stay. En route visit the palazzo and garden at Caprarola built by the cultured and powerful Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. Including will be its its cascade and subterranean water theatre, as well the important fresco decorations in the palazzo itself.
Free time for lunch (own expense) at Trevignano Romano on the shores of Lago di Bracciano.
Then continue to the ancient and bustling town of Frascati. After check-in at our hotel, we drive to the 16th century Villa Grazioli, a Cardinal’s villa in its own right dating back to 1580. It includes an intriguing series of frescoes on the ground floor, a fascinating ballroom painted by 18^th century Roman painter Giovanni Paolo Panini, and lovely views towards Rome and the sea. A perfect place to sample the culture of villa life first hand. We enjoy a group dinner here then return to our hotel.

Day 5: Full day tour to Giardino di Ninfa
Morning visit to the enchanting Gardens of Ninfa romantically set within the remnants of old churches and houses of a medieval town destroyed in 1381 due to disagreements between the local nobility and the Roman papacy. In the early 20^th century family descendants began a programme to create what is regarded as one of the most important English-style gardens in Italy.
Visit to the Baroque water theatre and garden at Villa Aldobrandini (subject to opening for private groups).

Day 6: Full day tour to Hadrian's imperial Villa, and the Villa d'Este
Morning visit to Hadrian's Villa, one of the best kept archaeological sites in Italy. Built at the foot of the Titburtine Hills by the Roman Emperior Hadrian between 118 and 138 AD becomes a model for much subsequent garden designing. The site includes buildings, baths, temples, barracks, theatres, gardens and fountains.
in the afternoon, set within the Tiburtine hills above, which were chosen by various aristocrats as the nearest place to escape the heat and pressure of Roman city life, we visit the 16th-century Villa d'Este in Tivoli. The extraordinary complex is famous for its steeply terraced landscaping adorned with tree and hedge lined avenues and a profusion of some 100 fountains. - a beautiful example of the Italian High Renaissance garden.
Farewell dinner tonight.

Day 7: Villa Farnesina
This morning we visit Villa Farnesina, the famous suburban villa with its seminal villa frescoes by Raphael and others. This is followed by free time in Trastevere for lunch (own expense). Transfer to the airport for your return flight to London.

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions, weather, garden openings and tour manager's discretion.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.

Tour grading: This tour has been graded as moderate due to time spent at attractions, and standing time for viewing. Some sites visited may not have lifts, and stairs may be uneven and steep. Gardens may have gravel uneven paths, with step access and no handrail. There may be limited places to sit in villas visited. For more information, visit the mobility page of our website, or contact our team.

INCLUDED

• Return flights from London Heathrow to Rome 
• Three nights’ accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the four-star Hotel Royal, Bolsena, and three nights’ accommodation on bed and breakfast basis at the four-star Hotel Villa Mercede, near Frascati, both based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Two dinners at local restaurants
• One dinner at Villa Grazioli
• One lunch at Castello Ruspoli
• Full coach touring itinerary
• Entrance fees as per the itinerary
• Tour manager throughout
• Dr Peter Higginson throughout

 NOT INCLUDED

• Double for sole use supplement - £315
• Holiday insurance
• Meals other than those stated 
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
• Porterage and gratuities

HOTEL

Hotel Royal, Bolsena 
Surrounded by greenery, and located 20 metres from the shores of Lake Bolsena, Hotel Royal offers an outdoor swimming pool with terrace, bar, and free WIFI throughout. The comfortable rooms offer TV, air-conditioning, hairdryer, and telephone. The hotel does not have its own restaurant, so breakfast is served in your room.

Hotel Royal Website

Hotel Villa Mercede, Frascati
Featuring an outdoor pool, a spa, terrace, and an elegant restaurant, Hotel Villa Mercede is set on the slopes of the Castelli Romani area. The modern bedrooms offer TV, hairdryer, telephone, WIFI, and safe. 

Hotel Villa Mercede Website

YOUR TOUR LECTURER:

Peter is an art historian who has taught at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, University of Manchester, Winchester School of Art and Christie’s Education, London. He specializes in both the art and culture of early modern Europe, and the modern period. He has published on the patronage of Caravaggio, art and society in 17^th Baroque Rome, and the post-war war American avant-garde.

Having originally studied painting at art school, his MA thesis focused on Jasper Johns and the influence of Wittgenstein; his PhD on the subject of poor types in Caravaggio’s Roman paintings.

Peter has taught numerous university courses abroad in Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, and has wide experience in leading cultural tours to different parts of Europe, as well as for many years to Cuba. 

A particular interest has been the history of the garden and ways in which a network of aesthetic, intellectual and political interests informs the fashioning of  the landscape. This has included exploring the villas and gardens in the province of Lazio, those of the Italian lakes in the north, and the gardens of Paris and the Île-de-France.

Peter is also chairman of the William Heath Robinson Trust which presides over the large collection of the artist's works on permanent loan to the Heath Robinson Museum, Pinner.