Villa Aurelia

Situated on the highest point of the Janiculum Hill, with an amazing view over the city, the villa was built in 1650 for Cardinal Gerolamo Farnese near Porta San Pancrazio, on some of the remains of the Aurelian Walls and the Vigna Farnese, where Pope Paul III had himself once owned a residence. It remained in the Farnese family’s possession until 1731 when, on the death of the last Duke of Parma, the Farnese estates passed to the Bourbons of Naples.

In the 19th century, the property was first purchased by the Counts of Giraud and then by Count Alessandro Savorelli, who commissioned extensive restoration work carried out by the architect Virginio Vespignani: much of the decoration carried out at that time can still be seen today. In 1849, Giuseppe Garibaldi chose the building as his headquarters for the defense of the Roman Republic against the French army: within the space of just one month, French artillery inflicted severe damage on the structure, which was subsequently restored by Count Savorelli. In 1881, the villa was purchased by Clara Jessup Heyland, an American heiress originally from Philadelphia. Upon her death in 1909, as stipulated in her will, the villa became the property of the American Academy in Rome.

Today the villa 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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