The Villa Borghese ... an ideal Roman villa?

Where purpose compliments function.
Where originality compliments tradition.
Where structural beauty compliments the beauty housed within.

 

The ideal Roman structure is arguably one in which purpose complements function, originality complements tradition, and the beauty of the structure without complements the beauty of the structure within as well as that which is housed within. The Villa Borghese is an ideal Roman structure. Built between 1612 and 1620, the main villa itself took only a year to build, but the decorating sculptures, aviary, and garden were not finished until 1620, the Villa Borghese was the ultimate place for Cardinal Scipione Borghese to house his seemingly endless collection of art, and elevate himself to a surreal level of patronage for the arts. The Villa Borghese has not remained static though, over the years changes have been made to Villa itself, as well as the collection within, and ultimately what began as the crowning piece of property for the successful and powerful Borghese family, has now become one of many great attractions of Rome owned by the state.

 

Pope Paul V a.k.a. Camillo Borghese

 

The Borghese families initial interaction with Rome began in 1547 when Marcantonio I Borghese moved to Rome from Siena after being appointed Consistorial Lawyer, a lawyer who deals with ecclesiastical affairs. The rest of the Borghese family followed in 1554, and although Marcantonio I did very well for himself, it wasn’t until his son Camillo was named Pope Paul V in 1605 that the Borghese family really found its footing in Roman society. Paul V, unlike many of the Popes before him, was not a fan of nepotism, but did, however, choose to appoint two of his direct nephews to seats of power the same year as his own election as Pope. The first, Marcantonio II, was appointed to be prince of Sulmona, while the second, Scipione, son of Pope Paul V’s sister Ortensia, was appointed to be a cardinal.

 

 

Cardinal Scipione Caffarelli Borghese

 

Scipione Borghese was the product of the marriage between two noble families, the Borghese and the Caffarelli. As a result, he was raised in a very rich cultural atmosphere, and developed a great appreciation for the arts early on in life. As soon as he was appointed to the position of cardinal, he decided to use every ounce of his power toward becoming a great patron of the arts. As both a collector and commissioner of the arts, Scipione sought after works of art, whether ancient, Renaissance, or contemporary, that he believed could inspire a new golden age. He commissioned such greats as Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Caravaggio, and by the time of his death had amassed a priceless amount of art.

 

 Bernini's Apollo and Daphne

 

 

 

 

 

 

As Cardinal Scipione collected and commissioned works of art, he desired a place that could not only be a permanent house and site of appreciation for his collection of art, but could also serve as a diplomatic seat of the papal court. As a result, Scipione hired Flaminio Ponzio, an architect favored by Scipione as well as Paul V, to build him just such a place. Cardinal Scipione chose the location of his palace to be near the Porta Pinciana, an ancient gate built under Emperor Honorius in the 5th century, due to the large availability of open space. Scipione wanted his villa to be open and welcoming to the public rather than closed off and foreboding, as exemplified by the Villa’s large foreground. With the architecture of the building itself, Ponzio wished to create a structure that acknowledged Rome’s history and past architectural practices, while also creating a unique and innovative structure that would provide inspiration for the future. One example of a way in which the Villa acknowledged the past is with its pale color, meant to reference Emperor Augustus, who changed many brick structures in Rome into ones of white marble. Also, the original double staircase leading to the portico was an imitation of a staircase built by Michelangelo at the Palazzo del Senatore at the Capitol. A final example is how Ponzio borrowed from the style of 16th century suburban villas by giving the Villa its two towers, portico, and large entrance hall, as well as its outer display of ancient statues and Doric order columns.

 

 

 

 

The Villa Borghese as seen in the 17th century

 

The unique and innovative aspects of the Villa are exemplified by the relationship of space between the inside and outside, as well as aspects of the outer structure that are not found in 16th century villas. While traditional villas are typically found to be monolithic and confined, the Villa Borghese is free from tradition in that it consists of front and side projections that interact with the upward projection of the two towers. This relationship between front, side, and top is also complemented by the placement of windows and doors surrounding the Villa, and their interaction with the avenues of the adjacent gardens. Ponzio wanted the windows and doors to line up and interact with the garden avenues so that again, as with the side and front projections, the Villa expanded beyond the confinement of traditional villas in the past. Ponzio also paid close attention to the perspective relationship between the inside and outside of the Villa such that one could be in any part of the interior and not lose track of one’s position relative to the exterior. Viewers are able to interact with outside avenues while they enjoy art enhanced by natural light shining through the strategically arranged windows.

 

Although the Villa Borghese was more than ideal for functioning as a museum to exhibit works of art, Cardinal Scipione desired more than that. Scipione believed that the purpose of the Villa Borghese was to “influence taste and recreation” as a “Theatre of the Universe”. Upon Scipione’s request, the gardens adjacent to the Villa were filled with rare plants imported from Holland and the Indies; fossil specimens and rare animals were brought to a zoological garden; live music was often featured; and modern technology of the time was also exhibited. Besides the main museum and gardens, the Villa Borghese also administered hunting grounds, stables, a large bird sanctuary, a wine cellar, and even silk worms. Cardinal Scipione wanted the Villa Borghese to function as a place of ultimate aesthetic pleasure where an appreciation for both art and nature are connected through its design. The Villa Borghese was meant to be a place that any free person could enjoy, and a Latin inscription Scipione set on a small theatre next to the zoological garden exemplifies this: “I, custodian of Villa Borghese, publicly declare as follows: Whoever you may be, provided you are a free man, do not fear the hindrance of regulations; go where you will, ask what you desire; leave when you wish. These delights have been created more for visitors than the owner”.

 

It is not difficult to imagine how popular the Villa Borghese must have been upon its full completion in 1620.

 

A second function for the Villa Borghese was to be a diplomatic seat of the papal court. As a cardinal, Scipione would be required to hold political meetings and banquets, and as a result he needed a place of residence that would impress foreign diplomats as well as show off the glory of Roman civilization. The architecture of the villa, as mentioned above, has very specific aspects such as its color, staircase, and presentation of ancient statues outside that would remind any citizen or foreigner of the grandeur and magnificence of Roman society. In 1627, a copy of the Villa’s building plan made it into the hands of an Augustan architect named Joseph Furttenbach, who relates the architecture of the Villa to its diplomatic purpose when he states that, “this design…aims at the following effect…that the appearance of the building be noble, courageous, strong, and…heroic”. Even a drawing of the Villa Borghese was powerful enough to relate the attributes of the society it represents to a foreigner who had never seen the building before.

 

Although Cardinal Scipione was in a tremendous seat of power as the cardinal nephew to Paul V, the only significant way he used his power, and really his main concern in life, was in collecting and commissioning works of art to be enjoyed by him and the public. Scipione knew that the Roman public was never fond of cardinal nephews, and although he did sponsor a number of ecclesiastic building projects to win the public’s favor, his fame and any praise he received came from his grand patronage of the arts. Due to the fact that his only real goal in life was to be a great patron of the arts, and undeniably he was, the Villa Borghese is the best way that Scipione could have addressed his goal. Roman society during the time of Scipione was a breeding ground for the arts, and therefore it is appropriate that Scipione would be present to support and consume the massive amount of artistic production around him. After the death of Paul V, Scipione retired from pubic life, and lived out the rest of his days enjoying his wealth and continuing his quest to collect as much art as possible for himself and the Villa Borghese.

 

Although the Borghese family itself has gone through many trials and tribulations, including the eventual loss of the Villa to the state in 1902 after the Borghese family felt the financial crash of the Bank of Italy in 1891, the Villa Borghese has continuously been a symbol and source of artistic appreciation. Many works have come and gone from the Villa for a variety of reasons. One example is when Camillo Borghese (1775-1832), an ally to the French thanks to his marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte’s sister Pauline, was forced to sell 344 pieces from the Villa’s archaeological collection to Napoleon, all of which constitute the Louvre’s “Borghese Collection” today. The building itself has also undergone several changes. For example, the original set of double stairs were demolished in the 18th century when their foundation was failing, replaced with pyramidal staircase that was generally deemed inappropriate, and replaced again with a replica of the original stairs that we see today. Also, between 1770 and 1880, Marcantonio IV completed a series of alterations to the Villa including a modernization to the gardens and the interior, and decorating the ceilings and walls with paintings and stuccoes by artists from all over the world. Regardless of all changes made, the Villa Borghese has always functioned as a museum for the public to enjoy.

 

The same desire that brought viewers to the Villa in the 1600s brings them back today, and will continue to bring them tomorrow; the desire to interact with and experience priceless works of art in an environment is ideal for such a purpose.

 

[REF: Roman Camada, UW School in Rome, 2010]