On Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September, PromoCulture takes you to the Gardens of the Cimini for a weekend combining nature, history and taste. Villa Giustiniani in Bassano Romano and Palazzo Chigi in Soriano are the stars, with wine tastings paired with local cheeses.
Villa Giustiniani – Bassano Romano. Built from the 17th century by the powerful Giustiniani family, the villa is a rare example of a Baroque residence immersed in nature, where art, architecture and landscape still dialogue in perfect harmony. Conceived as a cultural centre for the nobility, it features Baroque rooms with iconographic scenes (such as the Four Seasons) and a small 18th-century wooden theatre on the ground floor. Its beauty inspired many filmmakers: Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, Visconti’s The Leopard and Rossellini’s Blaise Pascal, as well as Alberto Sordi’s The Miser. Outside, the villa is surrounded by Italian gardens, tree-lined avenues and panoramic views over the valley below.
Palazzo Chigi – Soriano. The final stop takes you to Soriano and Palazzo Chigi. Built between the 16th and 18th centuries to a design by Ottaviano Schiratti for Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, it was meant to rival the Farnese residence in Caprarola and the Orsini one in Bomarzo. It boasts fine stables, recently reopened, and one of the most elegant monumental gardens in Tuscia, set on terraced levels following the natural slope of the hill. Its standout feature is the Papacqua Fountain, a unique sculptural structure carved into the living rock — a superb example of hydraulic architecture.
Leave a Reply