Villa Aurelia

The Villa was built in 1650 for Cardinal Girolamo Farnese at the top of the Janiculum, along the Aurelian Walls, near Porta San Pancrazio and the Vigna Farnese where Pope Paul III had in turn owned a residence. It remained the property of the Farnese family until 1731 when, upon the death of the last Duke of Parma, the Farnese possessions passed to the Bourbons of Naples. The building served as Giuseppe Garibaldi's headquarters during the French siege of Rome in 1849, on the occasion of the experience of the Roman Republic. The villa was heavily damaged during the assault and subsequently restored. The current state of the villa, after the works of 1946-47, corresponds to that of the first half of the last century, due to the interventions of Virginio Vespignani.

It was subsequently purchased by Clara Jessup Heyland, an American heiress from Philadelphia; upon his death in 1909, as established by bequest, the villa became the property of the American Academy in Rome.

The Villa, owned by the American Academy in Rome since 1909, was opened to the public again in June 2002 after three years of careful restoration. Villa Aurelia hosts concerts, conferences and cultural events of the Academy but, considering the beauty and variety of spaces available, over time it has become a special place for conferences, board meetings, dinners or private receptions.

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