On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September, PromoCulture takes you to the Cimini Gardens for a weekend combining nature, history and taste. Villa Giustiniani in Bassano Romano and Palazzo Chigi in Soriano take centre stage. Wine tastings paired with local cheeses are planned.
Villa Giustiniani – Bassano Romano
Built from the 17th century onwards on the initiative of the powerful Giustiniani family**, the villa is a rare example of a Baroque residence immersed in nature**, where art, architecture and landscape still coexist today in perfect harmony.
From the outset the residence was conceived as a highly significant cultural centre for the nobility and upper bourgeoisie, as shown by its Baroque-era rooms, surrounded by substantial iconographic scenes (such as the Four Seasons), and also by a small ground-floor theatre, entirely built in 18th-century wood with a stalls area and boxes. All evidence of a certain social standing for the time.
The beauty and splendour of the villa has also captivated many film producers, as the works shot there prove: La Dolce Vita by Fellini, The Leopard by Visconti and Blaise Pascal by Rossellini, not forgetting The Miser starring the great Alberto Sordi.
Outside, the villa is surrounded by Italian-style gardens, tree-lined avenues and panoramic views opening onto the valley below. All set within an atmosphere of absolute calm, ideal for a contemplative stroll or for discovering the hidden details of the Baroque landscape.
Palazzo Chigi – Soriano
The last stop of Giardini e Dintorni takes you to Soriano, and more precisely to Palazzo Chigi.
Built between the 16th and 18th centuries, it was designed by Ottaviano Schiratti at the request of Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, who wanted a country residence able to rival the homes of the Farnese family in Caprarola or the Orsini family in Bomarzo.
The Palazzo is laid out around a single main building, with two reception rooms per floor and an evocative terrace overlooking the valley. Featuring fine stables, recently reopened to visitors after a period of closure, it is also home to a garden of great importance.
Outside, in fact, stands what is perhaps the most elegant example of a monumental garden in the Tuscia area. Its distinctive feature lies in its multiple terraced levels and the hill’s natural slope. This particularity allows for a continuous dialogue between architecture and landscape.
The garden’s most striking feature is the Papacqua Fountain, a unique sculptural structure carved into the living rock. A stunning example of hydraulic architecture.
