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Villa Maraini (Istituto Svizzero)

Historic site · Ludovisi, Italy

An eclectic villa with neo-Baroque elements, standing on an artificial hill made from the spoil of the excavation of via Ludovisi, with a garden and a grotto nymphaeum and a Torre Belvedere 26 metres high. Roma Capitale says the villa sorge nel Rione Ludovisi, and records that it was built between 1903 and 1905 by the Ticinese architect Otto Maraini for his brother Emilio, the industrialist who introduced beet-sugar production to Italy. Roma Capitale calls the building Villa Maraini; Italian Wikipedia's text and infobox, and the rione's own article, call it Villino Maraini.

History

Roma Capitale records that Emilio Maraini's widow, Countess Carolina Maraini-Sommaruga, gave the villa to the Swiss Confederation in 1946 on the condition that it be perpetuamente al servizio della cultura, nel segno della collaborazione tra la Svizzera e l'Italia. Roma Capitale's page on the Istituto Svizzero says the institute has been active since 1947; Italian Wikipedia says the villa was entrusted to it in 1948, when it established its seat here. Roma Capitale states that the institute organises guided visits inside the villa. The institute's own site gives the address as Via Ludovisi 48, the telephone as +39 06 420 421, and says guided visits are by booking only, through visite@istitutosvizzero.it. Check the institute's site before going, which is what Roma Capitale itself advises.

Visit

Via Ludovisi 48, 00187 Roma RM

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