HISTORY

The Villa Wolkonsky was built in the 1890s by the descendants of the Russian Princess Zenaide Wolkonsky, the wife of an aide-de-camp to Tsar Alexander I.

In 1830, the Princess's father gave her a large piece of land near the church of San Giovanni in Laterano (the Pope's Church in Rome). The plot included 36 bays of the aqueduct spur which Nero added to the system constructed by Claudius in the middle of the 1st century AD.

The Princess built a small villa incorporating 3 of the aqueduct bays and created a garden with roses, sculptures and Roman statuary as the main features. After her death in Rome in 1862, her son Alexander lived in the villa and he uncovered the Roman tufo tombs beyond the aqueduct. During the rapid expansion of Rome in the 1870s, much of the estate was sold off for development. The sales enabled the descendants of the Princess, the Campanari family, to build a new, imposing villa on the site. The house was greatly extended in the 1930s with the addition of two wings and a fourth storey, and the Princess's original villa was also enlarged at the same time. Five columns were used to build a little roofed temple.

The Villa Wolkonsky has been the British Ambassador's Residence since 1947. The main State Rooms are maintained by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Estates Division and most of the pictures are from the Government Art Collection.

THE VILLA WOLKONSKY TODAY

The Grounds and Garden

The remains of the Princess's garden provide a green oasis in a very built up part of Rome. The aqueduct and ponds are a perfect backdrop to the hedged lawns and rose beds whilst the huge magnolia and umbrella pine trees frame the house. From the top terraces of the villa you can just see the Sabine and Alban hills.

The Driveway

The curved driveway, lined with palm trees, sweeps up the travertine-faced ramp to the canopied entrance.

Entrance Hall and Staircase

The entrance hall floor is laid in a geometric design with Siena yellow, red, green and oyster coloured marble.

The portrait of Her Majesty the Queen is by Luciano Guarnieri and is the first authorised copy of the original by Pietro Annigoni.

The brass-effect metal banister to the main staircase and the sea green carpet harmonise with the marble of the hall columns and the skirtings on the stairs.

The Ballroom

As part of the State Visit in October 2000 the dinner given by HM The Queen for President Ciampi took place in the ballroom which overlooks the garden. The doors and windows are all dressed with romanesque arched architraves and embrasures in yellow Siena marble. Piranesi prints hang between each window. The ballroom has recently been air-conditioned to allow it to be used for conferences, concerts and trade promotions throughout the year.

The Reception Rooms

The inter-connecting rooms of different sizes provide flexible entertaining space for the Villa's many guests. The main feature of these rooms is the series of four Mortlake tapestries based on cartoons by Raphael. The tapestries are on loan from the Duke of Buccleuch.

The Salone Rosa is particularly suitable for small-scale lunches and dinners.

The Grande Salotto can accommodate large receptions. A modern carpet has been specially woven for this room by Woodward Grosvenor to a design based on Italian plaster ceiling details which had inspired Robert Adam in the late 18trh century. The large picture by Hackert and Tischbein of the Court of the Kingdom of Naples out hunting includes Sir William and Lady Hamilton in the King's party.

The Dining Room has a more formal atmosphere, with the lower part of the walls covered with marble.

A more detailed note is available.

Text: © Jessica Shepherd