Casino dell'Orologio

At the beginning of the 17th century the casino became part of the magnificent Villa Pinciana, built by Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1576-1633) outside the gate of the same name. In 17th-century documents the building is reported as a two-story building with a courtyard and a large portico, used as a gardener's house. The structure remained unchanged until 1791 when it was subject to important transformations by architect Mario Asprucci, commissioned by Prince Marcantonio IV Borghese (1730-1800), promoter of a general transformation of the villa. The project included the addition from massive corner spurs and large openings on the ground floor. At the top of the factory Nicola Fagioli built a four-sided small tower containing a clock, that was to mark the building and definitely change its name. The old Casino del Giardiniere was used to accommodate the collection of ancient statues and furniture from the Borghese family estate in Pantano, found in excavations of the ancient city of Gabii, conducted under the direction of Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798). The Gabi Museum, opened in 1797, was unfortunately short-lived because in 1807 much of the Gabii sculptures were sold to Napoleon Bonaparte, whose sister Pauline Camillo Borghese had married. In the second half of the 19th century the Casino hosted a trattoria and was later used for exhibitions organized by the Society of Roman Acquarellisti. Immediately after the villa was purchased and opened to the public in 1903, significant renovations were carried out, including the construction of a new reinforced concrete slab to cover the building. In 2006, on the occasion of a new functional adaptation, the partitions, built inside the large hall on the ground floor in the 1950s, were removed and substantial traces of the original fresco decoration were found, with a fake arbor animated by multicolored birds. Since 2020, the building has been home to the capitoline Sovrintendenza ai BB. CC. - Villas, Historical Parks and Science Museums Department.