Moving towards the system of Vesuvian Villas
Twenty-five years have gone by since Massimo Troisi
shot his first film, Ricomincio da tre, in
In the preface
to the first edition of this book, five years ago, I wrote: “Making a town enjoyable means giving those
who live in it the possibility to go in and out of their past”. Today this
is possible because the project of urban development that is being carried out
has involved not only the XVIII century villas but also the town’s streets and
squares, thus restoring the places that up to the beginning of last century had
made the Vesuvian area known as “the Land of Delights” to their old dignity and
liveability.
Differently from what happened up to some years ago,
when the XVIII century mansions were not distinguishable among the other
buildings, today, while walking along the town streets, not only do we realize
the presence of these mansions, but we can also appreciate their architectural
features. This is thanks to the recovery and redevelopment program called “Memoria Viva” (Living Memory). In recent
years Villa Bruno, the Vesuvian Culture building, has become the heart of the
town’s cultural life as well as a landmark for the Vesuvian area as a whole. It
is the seat of “Massimo Troisi Award” and of the Council Institution for the
promotion of culture as well as of a bookshop, “Vesuvio Libri”. Moreover, it
will soon contain the
We have committed ourselves to attributing new
functions to these ancient buildings, paying attention to what is throbbing
with life in the present and creating the pathways to common history. This
enables the citizen-spectator to walk along the path of progress rather than
that of melancholy retrospect of what used to be and it is no more. Our
cultural heritage can be kept alive only if it is experienced anew; this is the
challenge awaiting us in the near future: reviving our vesuvian villas and
including them in the network of tourism so that they may become the key-factor
of local economy development.
I want to offer my personal thanks and those of the
town council to the people that, with their work, have created this booklet
because in these years it has represented an important tool for the knowledge
and enhancement of the historical and architectural patrimony of our town.
July 2005
Mayor of
The administrators of towns such as San Giorgio have
been preceded by years of urban congestion and land exploitation by means of
unprofessional and poor interventions and today they have the task to remedy at
least fifty years’ squandering, low culture, ugliness.
To accomplish such a task we need to turn to history
and go back to the moment when the balance between society, nature and town
broke down. We
have to look at our
territory and our town as a whole where not everything is compromised; at the
same time, it is not possible to erase the past and start afresh.
Consequently, to start this process of redevelopment
concerning not only the stones but also the people, the economy and the society
of the town, we must start from where a transformation is more likely to
happen, from the places and buildings where our interventions are more likely
to be successful.
The thirty Vesuvian Villas
in San Giorgio represent one of the most important resources on which to base
this process of redevelopment, starting from those publicly owned: “Villa Bruno” and “Villa Vannuccchi”.
We have restored these villas, but restoring them
without later using their rooms and gardens and without taking care of their
maintenance means condemning these buildings to a new condition of decay. So,
it is important to identify what activities we can carry out in the villas that
are consistent with their historical features and at the same time can generate
incomes. In line with these assumptions we have already identified some
services to be located in the restored spaces combining the cultural role of
the villas with the private management of the activities. In particular, Villa
Bruno will be the seat of an oeno-gastronomic cultural centre, a
However, even before the villas become part of the
economy of today’s town, they need to tug at the citizens’ heartstrings. So it
is important to make this extraordinary patrimony known in the schools, among
the people living in the Neapolitan area, to tourists visiting the “Golden
Mile”,
the redevelopment process of the town will have feet to stand on.
July 2005
Chairman of the Vesuvian Villas
Enhancement Committee
The Vesuvian Villas of the 18th Century.
The Vesuvian Villa of 18th century represents a style of architecture
that was realised under the reign of King Charles III of Borbone, who was
considered to be one of the most advanced Kings of the century. In 1734,
Charles I became King of the two Sicilies. Naples after almost 2 centuries of
vice-Kingdom, became independent, and this was a push for all the intellectuals
in Naples, scientists and cultured people to create the basis for the future
development of the philosophical thought, and all the arts in general.
In architecture the King chose the right people to stimulate building,
giving an outstanding impulse for the realisation of noble palaces and
residences, as well as monuments such as the Royal Palace of Caserta.
The architects Fuga, San Felice, Vaccaro, Gioffredo,
up to Vanvitelli were some of the Kings favouritès who developed Napolitan
Baroque. It was Vanvitelli who reformed the Baroque Style simplifying and
sobering it, in his research for the essential which was the main
characteristic of the neo-classical style.
Among the architectural masterpieces there is the Royal Palace of
Portici and the Vesuvian Villas of the famous ‘Golden Mile’ where the Barouque
Style finds it’s lighter and more fantastic expression towards the Rococò.
In the Pane’s monography this architecture was defined as a development
of the architectural style called ‘Rocaille’.
These summer residences that we find at the feet of Vesuvio represent a
link to the following work of Fanzago ‘……..the style called “rocaille” finds
it’s peculiarity, not in great richness and decorative lessening but in a
tendency to deny the still valid ways, represented by the geometrical order for
a freer effect of naturalistic inspiration’.
Before describing the Vesuvian Villas of San Giorgio a Cremano, it is
preferable to introduce the two main types which villas reflect.
They can be divided in agricultural villa where farming activity is
evident, and in “Villa di Delizie” or holidays residences which appear like
residences for the nobility, thanks to their large spaces.
Reading the map of the Duke of Noja we distinguish the 2 types of Villa:
1) Productive Villas:
The first plan is shown by the typical suburban villas present before
the construction of the Royal Palace Of Portici. They are situated more inland
and used for the production of food which has always been offered by the land’s
fertility.
Among these villas we find Villa Tufarelli, Villa Bonocore with St.
Michael’s Chapel, Villa Marulli with the Pittore Chapel. In Villa Tufarelli for
example, the plan show the great rustic courtyard that is the principle element
around which all the costruction developed.
It is situated beyond the entrance door. To reach Villa Bonocore
instead, it is necessary to pass through all the entrance way where via San
Michele begins, and where we find the entrance door. Here also the rustic
courtyard developed along the front of the building.
Another characteristic of the agricultural Villas is the Chapel for the
nobility, situated close to the building (see Villa tufarelli), or next to
the entrance door and along the street,
as in the case of St. Michele Chapel near Villa Bonocore.
2) The “Ville di Delizie”
The majority of the Vesuvian Villas belongs to the second category, that in many cases consists of buildings
developing from a radical trasformation of pre-existing buildings. These
Villas, made up by a complex structure, developed orthogonally from the
entrance door up to the atrium, courtyard, gardens and park terminating usually
with a shine Villa Bruno or with a “coffeaus” or like in the case of Villa
Sinicropi, with a secondary entrance door. Thanks to this spatial organisation,
these buildings keep both relation with the roadway and the nearby villas, and
the farm land keeping their characteristic of city palace and villa.
The main body of the villas do not have green filters towards the public
streets but the main entrance way is just under many balconies and windows rich
with stuccos and decorated frames.
Originally the main body of the villas had certainly been made up by a
maximum of two floors with two wings going towards the garden.
In some cases the structure has an elliptic shape developing along a
transversal axis contrasted with the longitudinal axis, which is the prospectic
axis along which different open spaces are created.
The groundfloor stairways are placed in an archway corresponding to an
uncovered terrace on the first floor.
The courtyard is of a reduced dimension and typical of the Baroque
taste; it terminates in an exedra closed by a going towards the garden, further
closed by a barred-metal gate offering trasparency.
VILLA BRUNO - Via Cavalli di
Bronzo, 20
Villa Bruno belonged first to the Monteleone family and then to the Lietos. They
often hosted
One of the peculiarities of this villa is represented by the two
bas-reliefs in false bronze portraying two horse heads situated on abutments on
the two sides of the main entrance.
These elements were placed there to commemorate the casting of two
monumental equestrian statues that took place in the foundry annexed to the
villa. The statues portrayed Charles III and Ferdinand IV Bourbon and were situated in Piazza
del Plebiscito in
From the entrance portal it is possible to see the main door framing, in
perspective, the niche set at the farthest end of the estate.
This scenographic effect is obtained because the main axis of the
architectural plan coincides with the perspective axis starting with the atrium
and the next hallway and ending with the final baroque aedicule. The bright
alley in the park standing out behind the entrance hall is furnished with stone
seats situated at the sides alternating with statue pedestals and vases for
more than two-hundred metres.
Inside the garden there used to be an iron and glass greenhouse and a
semicircular exedra decorated with statues. Nowadays the exedra has been
replaced with an open air arena where different kinds of events promoted by the
city council take place.
In the greenery we can still see some of the statues that were once
interspersed in the park and that date back to the XIX century, while we can
find a bust portraying Jupiter on a pedestal in the hallway.
The courtyard facing Via Cavalli
di Bronzo once showed two century-old holmoaks forming ideal green wings.
Today long-stemmed trees have taken their place; in summer, their lilac flowers
create a delicate contrast with the recently restored pale yellow façade and
let us imagine the scenographic effects produced also by the skilful use of
trees, sometimes of exotic origin.
Even though it has kept its seventeenth century lay-out, the villa has a
substantially neo-classical aspect, while the arrangement of the spaces has changed
because of subsequent extensions.
The back façade is very simple and yet it keeps a wide segmental arch
typical of the baroque and the corresponding main balcony deprived of the
decorations that once connected it to the opening underneath.
The sinuous balcony as well as the wide belvedere terraces show the wish
to enjoy the natural beauties that the Vesuvian scenario offered; this is one
of the chief characteristics of these noble holiday lodges. The final curved
spandrel wall frames an elliptical niche containing the terracotta statue of a
blessing St. Gennaro.
Fortunately, inside the villa the main floor still has XIX century
decorations and frescoes portraying landscapes: at the time it was usual for
these mansions to have decorations in the halls imitating the external
environment. Among the other elements we can still appreciate the rococo doors.
But what makes this villa a singular case among the typical Vesuvian villas is
the presence of the foundry.
Francesco Righetti, from
It is interesting to notice the layout of the foundry and of the nearby
spaces located at the farthest end of the estate. Today their ruins border on
the present via Giuseppe Guerra.
The main building, by now roofless, has a rectangular plan and five
round arches used to hold up the roof. In the middle of the main building a pit
was built to contain the monumental
work.
It is worth to underline Righetti’s skill: by using an innovative
technique based on the principle of communicating vessels he was able to cast
the firs statue, in
The reason why, in 1816, Righetti chose San Giorgio to build the foundry
— later transformed into a glassworks by the Brunos — seems to be connected to
the active collaboration with Marquis Cerio, who was Canova’s great admirer and
interceded to allow Righetti to set up the structure in spite of the
neighbouring nobles’ considerable complaints.
The above information about the foundry underlines the anomaly this
building represents in the context of the Vesuvian area; it is interesting also
from the point of view of industrial archaeology.
Along
If we go out of the town centre itself and cross Piazza Massimo Troisi, going along “the street taking to the
mountain” we find The Painter’s Chapel (The Painter’s Place).
VILLA VANNUCCHI - Corso Roma, 43/47
Around 1755, along the ancient Via
Teglie Giacomo d’Aquino Caramanico, “the King’s chamber gentleman”, bought
two estates belonging to Giovanni Battista Imparato — one was a mansion and the
other a Roman-style lodge” — and a fourteen-modius farm, partly covered with a
wood.
The mansion is one of the stateliest villas of the Vesuvian area as the
representation of the façade overlooking the street designed by architect
Antonio Donnamaria shows. This wide façade presents a series of Corinthian
pilasters alternating with two rows of balconies having bellied wrought iron
banisters. The lower row of balconies, on the main floor, is surmounted by
curved gables, while the upper row has no decorations. The back façade is open
to the surrounding view and shows a sequence of arches, loggias and porticoes
overlooking the Italian garden downstairs. The garden was designed in 1783 by
architect Pompeo Schiantarelli and was characterized, as we can read in
Carafa’s plan, by an alley starting from an exedra at one end of the courtyard
and leading to a fountain with four symmetrical basins arranged diagonally to
the alley. The fountain is the hub of the garden; from there fourteen alleys
radiate out towards the boundaries of the estate and they are all arranged
according to the perspective of the view.
The “Villa and the delights of the d’Aquinos called Caramanico” reached
its full splendour in the XIX century, during Joaquin Murat’s reign, thanks to
the receptions and balls organized by Prince Tommaso d’Aquino and his wife
Teresa Lembo, Murat’s niece. “When Joaquin came here, it was clear that he
could not come alone, but the number of those who were invited to join him was
so huge that it could have been compared to a whole population… During these
receptions ice-creams and refreshments were offered in such enormous amounts
that there was a great squandering”.
In the second half of the XIX century the villa was bought by Count
Lorenzo Van den Henvel; in 1912 the estate was then sold to the Vannucchis.
The villa has such a large front that you cannot grasp it all at once:
the narrow street prevents the sight of the most suggestive part of the villa,
the factory, where the lateral bodies close the two rows of balconies and the
design of the architecture is entirely planned according to the landscape and
to the declining soil.
The magnificent back garden, the extension of which is second only to
the Royal Park of Portici, still contains some wonderful camphor-trees, pines,
holm- oaks, palm-trees, magnolias, date-palms, cedars, mimosa and apricot-trees.
The Chapel is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The sacristy, the music-hall
and a theatre (an ex-stable) are the other elements of the great architectural
plan of this noble mansion today belonging to the
VILLA BONOCORE - Via Alessandro Manzoni, 41
The estate belonged to the Rano Family and then to the Bonocore Family.
Presently it is only a ruin. It is a huge rectangular construction in “tufo”
stone and almost forgotten nowadays, and unaccessibile, being lower than the
main street. The villa doesn’t belong to
the “Villa di Delizie” but was a farming villa. The presence of two terraces at
the extremity of the structure does not make the massive aspect lighter, being
placed too high. The original plan presented the entrance to the farm from a
channel (Alveo San Michele) a sort of a laneway that the Duke of Noja called
“the street leading to the little catini water basins” (la strada che porta ai catini). Here we can still see an exedra where there was the entrance door to the
near property, to the Chapel dedicated to St. Michael Archangel. From here a
long alley started leading to the buildings’ entrance where there was a large
rustic courtyard where the agricultural activity developed.
VILLA BORRELLI - Via Bruno Buozzi, 27
The villa still keeps the name of the owner, Antonio Borrelli, who bought it in 1877 as Gleijeses informs us. This building although later elevated, keeps the Barouque print on the original façade. The two window still present baroque frames and scrollwork while the balcony still has the original gracious wrought ironwork. After the entrance, we find a gracious 18th century atrium with plasterwork and fanlights. The atrium becomes larger at the height of the stairway on the left of the entrance. An entranceway is so shaped with 3 bays, through which we go into an internal courtyard to which the first floor corresponds to a large panoramic terrace.
On the opposite side, at the bottom of the courtyard, there is a terrace
sustained by 3 arches, which divide the building from the back garden, and
gives to the courtyard an elegant symmetrical structure.
There are still some high quality decorations that remain; a large
framed 18th century mask is at the top of the stairway, and some
decorations in the joints of the stairway
vaults.
VILLA CARACCIOLO DI FORINO - Via Enrico
Pessina, 34
There is no trace of the original building plan that the last descendent
of the Caracciolo Family gave to the
VILLA CARAFA PERCUOCO - Via Bruno
Buozzi, 23
The villa belonged to Don Pietro Maria Firrao, Prince of Luzzi, owner of
the beautiful palace Firrao Bisignano in
VILLA CARSANA - Via Enrico
Pessina, 2
The building began by the Caracciolo Family of Lavello, was enlarged by
the Caracciolo’s of
The villa develops around two courtyards, the first of which you enter
from the main entrance door placed towards the widening of the street. At n°
There is no evidence todayof the huge salons and the elliptic dining
room, the large terrace, and the two semi-octagonal pavillions.
The courtyard has been modified and the large vestible has been lost. In
the centre of the garden, Gleijeses tells us that there was a long walkway
leading to a “caffeaus” and to a pavillion. In a hereditary document in 1899,
the garden was described as a horse-trail with many rows full of blackberries,
rosemary and other ornamental plants.
VILLA CERBONE - Via Enrico
Pessina, 24
The villa belonged to the Cariati Family and was restored in the first
half of the 20th century. Inspite of the 19th century style the structure
remains original: the vestible leads to the large elliptic atrium from where
two symmetrical staircases depart. They lead to a second atrium on the upper
floor, which is similar to the lower one, and through 3 doors you enter the
private rooms.
Tthere are 3 sets of ribbing dividing the ceiling into 6 sections.
The perimeter walls are elliptic and house stairways. In the curved
walls there are still the upper window frames in Baroque style, which reminds
us of the movement of the internal stairways; in the centre of the atrium
ceiling there is a huge 19th century fresco. Nothing remains of the garden
which was full of statues benches.
VILLA COSENZA - Via Cavalli di
Bronzo, 51
This building belonged to the Vannucchi Family but now it is of the
Cosenza 40 Family. In the 19th century the villa was completely restored and
nothing remains of its original aspect, except the arches and the columns of
the atrium. The decorations are kept in a good condition. It must be noticed
the glass and iron balconies which enclose the arches of the back courtyard.
VILLA F. GALANTE - Via Bruno Buozzi, 17
The villa still keeps its 18th century look. On the street there are
still the elaborate Baroque plasterwork. The balconies, in wrought iron and the
vaults are definitely in Vaccarian style. The stairway is sustained by arches
and develops on one side of the atrium. Just after the entrance, there is an
exedra where there was a statue of Saint Gennaro. From the backview there are
two little towers, some plasterwork and under the crowning, there is an image
of the Saint who holds the family arms and two small ampullas.
VILLA G.A. GALANTE - Via Enrico
Pessina, 56
The villa belonged to Michele Lofrano and then passed to the Galante
Family who restored it last century. The view on the terraced courtyard still
keeps the 18th century movement and
there is still the large stairway in “piperno” with crossed vaulted archways.
Of particular value is the wooden decoration on the entrance archway. The
structure developed around two courtyards. The main entrance led to the real villa,
which was one of the largest with a large entranceway and a vast rear garden.
Next to the main structure there was a second entrance, today connected
to via Galante, that led to a rustic courtyard, where the farming activity was
held.
VILLA GIARRUSSO - Via Bruno Buozzi, 35
The building is in an ancient compact courtyard. From the main view,
next to the main doorway, there is an interesting wooden decoration and two
large Baroque ovals. The building is on two floors and has sinuous original
windows decorated with plasterwork.
VILLA GIULIA - Via Cavalli di Bronzo, 16
We have little information about this villa. Gleijeses reports that it
also belonged to the Vannucchi Family. It has a “L” shaped plan and we can
still see the valuable ancient internal stairway. The garden is beautiful and
Pane says that in the centre of it there was a bower and at the bottom of which
there was a niche holding a 19th century statue.
VILLA LEONE - Via Enrico Pessina, 18
The Berio Family was the owners and they were a noble Napolitan Family,
who lived, in a homonymous palace in Via Toledo. They were so important as to
give their name to Via Pessina. The villa is huge and has an imponent belvedere
tower as we see in the plan of the Duke of Noja. Later the Villa passed to the
Macchucca Vargas Family. Princes of Casapesenna, to who belongs the family arms
in marble, on which there is written “Macchucca assi assi Vargas Macchucca”.
From 1913 it belongs to the Leone Family. The restored neoclassical facade is
divided in two levels: the ground floor wall is in rusticated ashlar and the
upper level hosts two balconies, a large first floor balcony and a smaller
second floor balcony.
The first floor presents rounded balconies, probably from the original
building. On these balconies neoclassical capitals sustain the triangular
gabled-window frames. Past the doorway you enter in the great atrium with an
elliptic dome. On the right of who enters, there is a large stairway made from
lavastone. From the large atrium you pass to the back doorway corresponding to
the first floor where we find a long panoramic terrace. The rooms of the first
floor face onto this terrace, with a large central salon with a double-view.
The 3 large arches sustaining the terrace are intervalled by a couple of
columns in red –brick.
At the bottom of courtyard there is a symmetrical structure over which
there is a hanging terrace closed by an artistic gate that separates the garden
from the villa. Although the hanging terrace is a 19th century modernisation it
gives a big contribution for the monumental aspect of the villa.
VILLA LIGNOLA - Via G.A Galante, 85
This villa was built in 1742, probably by Pietro Lignola; a noble
Professor of Art who was elected president of the Royal Holy Council. The villa
presents two courtyards and belongs to the agricoltural villas, which are in
the upper area of San Giorgio. Here the structure is refined and polished. The
long prospect has a simple movement created by a wall of pilasters and rococo
decorations that we can still see around some balconies. The two entrances are
at the far end of the builbing and close the main body. The prospect converges
on the central first floor balcony framed by two pilasters, which reach the
terminal frame of the building. It is important the composition of the portal
were there is still a wooden decoration. From the left side entrance you go to
the main courtyard in which there is an open stairway. Vendetti gives a
dedication to this, considering it “ one of the most picturesque stairways.
VILLA MARIA - Via Bruno Buozzi, 37
The entrance of the building is placed on the narrow curve between Via
Pessina and Via B. Buozzi and is at the very end of Via Pessina facing
The atrium decorated by a plaster star, heads to the garden where we
find a sanctuary, which probably held an image of a Patron Saint.
VILLA MARULLI - Viale Bernabò, 22
His brother donated the villa and farm in 1664 to the painter Luca
Giordano. He used to go there to rest and the villa entrance was on the end of
the viale Bernabò. At the last part of the street, among climbing vines it is
still possible to see some elements in
the lava stone, which decorated the little wall, today totally destroyed. In
front of the prospect there are two high palm trees of great scenographic
effect, behind which is seen a particular double-levelled covering. A few
things remain of the ancient villa like some traces of a fresco along the
stairway that featured the Virgin and some Saints.
At the entrance to the property in the little
VILLA MARULLIER - Via Enrico Pessina, 5
The building borders onto the entrance of villa Astarita, whose main
entrance rests inside the council
VILLA MENALE - Via Enrico
Pessina, 57
Little remains of this Baroque villa owning to the 19th century
restoration, which eliminated the garden and the exedra in the courtyard, which
was valuable and remebered by Pane.
VILLA OLIMPIA - Via Enrico
Pessina, 73
Inside the actual building we can still see the remains of the ancient
18th century villa. It is a one storey building with an airy terrace which face
the garden. There should have been a terrace where is still visible a white
enamelled terracotta medallion with the image of San Gennaro.
VILLA PIGNATELLI DI MONTECALVO - Largo arso, 1
The Princess Emanuela Caracciolo Pignatelli, Duchess of Montecalvo,
built the palace and donated the statue of St George patron Saint of the town
to the church Santa Maria del Principio (as Palomba says).
When she died the building passed to Emiddio Mele,whose initials can
still be seen in the centre of the atrium ceiling. When the villa returned to
the Pignatelli family the property was divided between the two brothers Carlo
and Paolo at the end of the 19th century. Paolo, being the younger,had the
little Chapel and the other buildings which made up the rustic part of the
villa which usually was rented out. The Villa is one of the lagest of the
area,and in Pane’s opinion was designed by San Felice,whose diamond shaped work
we can recognise on the lower part of the building, similar to palazzo Serra of
Cassano.
The main view is one of the few that yuo can enjoy globally from Largo
Arso. The lower part of the building hosts two rows of balconies placed between
giant pilasters. At the centre, on the entrance door there is a monumenteal
decorated balcony with sumptuous decorations that go higher than the actual
building in a raised fold of the moldings sustaining the above vaults of the
main balcony. This architecture is effective and respects the Baroque style
giving lightness to the stability of curtain walls. The atrium is an ample
octagonal space.
In the secondary walls there are four balconies and under them benches
in “piperno, while along the minor axis of the side walls start two short
stairways in “piperno” calling to min the eruptions of Vulcano. From the
courtyard start two symmetrical stairways which go to the panoramic terrace of
the first floor where there is a large elliptic central salon. The two
half-curved stairways probably were
sucessively built to reach the terrace. Tipically Rococò are the lightly-curved
window frames which connect to the
plasterwork of facade. In the courtyard there are still the hanging capitals
which keep the original base decorations in Rococò style. Near the villa there
is still the ancient private oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary and today
transformed in carpark.
VILLA PIZZICATO - Via Pittore, 70
This building is in ruins, surrounded by modern over-henging buildings. From
the 18th century two ancient walls in “piperno still remain and a section of
the exedra leading into the garden where modern apartment buildings have been
built. Some Baroque decorations still remain like the plasterwork in the
courtyard and balustrades in “piperno” on the terrace which faced the sea.
VILLA RIGHI - Via Enrico
Pessina,45
Originally it belonged to the De Martinis family, and then to Mara
Durante, who in 1931 got married to Evaristo Righi.
The Villa then had various owners and how is subdivided into flats. The
building is ruined and only the original atrium can be seen to have frescoes in
a style of Pompei.
The atrium was rich with statues in niches and plaster benches, as Pane
remembers.
They imitated the Roman ‘sellae’ and wewre put along the two sidewalls.
Only one survives today.
Two Imperial eagles are found at the side of the courtyard gate that
once opened onto the garden.
VILLA SALVETELLA - Via Sant’Anna, 44
Built in the middle of the 18th century by the Barons
of Ripa. The villa was bought in
1764 by Baron Salvatella. The imponent facade is divided in two parts – the
ground floor and first floor, where there are large balconies with neoclassical
frames reminding us of the Royal Palace of Caserta. The lower roof has certainly
been enlarged through the years the front view, refined with fake redbrick
plasterwork, still keeps valuable ionic capitals with pilasters that evidence
the facade in its neoclassical style. A noble Family Arms is placed on the main
door.
The terrace structure is on the contrary on line with the barroque
villas, and the assymetrical plan is in counter position to the rustic hoses
that appear in this area. The frescoes under the atrium vault are barouque like
the stairway on the left of who enters; only the first stairway remains. Two
columns once crowned by terracotta vases frame the steps and the gateway to the
garden.
VILLA SINICROPI
- Via Pittore, 100
The Villa has an 18th century frontal prospect. The facade is almost
without refinement apart from the pretty design on the main door with a Baroque
decoration which connects to the border of the upper balcony. On the façade
there is a memorial marble plate dedicated to Enrico Pessina, a Napolitan penal
lawyer, who died at the beginning of last century. The villa has a rectangular
plan with two secondary terraced bodies, later changed into verandans and which
enclosed the courtyard on both sides. The long street frontage develops on two
floors and presents two panoramic terraces of which noe looks at Vesuvius, and
the other, the sea. In the atrium there are two ancient walls and a gate that
opens onto the garden where there are still some statues. At the end of the
long alley there is a secondary entrance where you reached the street which as
the Duke of Noja said “that leads to the Catini”, this ancient axis corresponds
to the San Michele riverbed.
VILLA TANUCCI - Via Alcide De Gasperi,10
The villa was part of the dowry of the wife of the Marquis Bernardo
Tanucci, a man of tuscan origins, very able but severe
and authoritarian, that became a key figure in the government of Carlo III and
Ferdinando IV. Gleijeses observes that the simplicity of the villa corresponds
to the honesty of the owner. This simple building, he says, could have been
enriched and addorned by the relics from the ruins of
VILLA TUFARELLI - Via Enrico Pessina, 69
The area where villa tufarelli is now, as Father Alagi informs us, belonged
to the Bimonti family in the 16th century. They elected to live here during
their holidays around
We know that Pietro Avallone was the owner in 1791 and in 1877, the
property passed to Baron Gennaro Tufarelli, an ancestor of the present owner
who bear the same name.
The building presents the same plan of these villas, that is, a double
“L” oining at the atrium, from where starts an ample entranceway that faces the
back courtyard. The large spaces are covered with sail-like vaults, which
create an octagonal axis, and finishes with a large lowered arch that frames
the beautiful stairways lying to the right of the entrance. From here you can
take the first ramp with balustrades in “piperno”.
The terminal exedra in the courtyard through which you enter the garden
presented marble busts on the end side of the cross-shaped Colums between the
gates. At the beginning the garden was full of statues and fountains and went until
VILLA TUFARELLI - Via Tufarelli, 49
The present owner is Count Fabrizio Tufarelli. The villa is still well
kept and is one of the few never having been sub-divided. This solitary house
was far from the sea and had a view of Vesuvius and the countryside.
It was emerged in cultivated lands that went towards the ancient street
of the Royal Palace of Portici. All the present Villas in the upper area of San
Giorgio were built to use the fertile land around Vesuvius and were older than
the same
The present building comes out from a little house with a small tower, built
by the Bolino Family in the 17th century and from whom took the name “li
bollini” as reported by the Duke of Noja. The building was enlarged sucessively
by the same Bollini Fmily who built, among other things, the ancient chapel of
the Madonna del Carmine… pag.26 little entrance door is next to the main
entrance of the property. The Chapel after the one in S.Giorgio Vecchio, is the
most ancient and it still summons the faithful to Church. Inside the Chapel,
there are ancient plasterwork and valuable paintings: on the main altar there
is a painting by Solimene, and on the side altar there are two paintings
attributed to Spadaro and Giordano.The floor is tiled and reports the Family
Arms.
The Noble Family went to the Church without leaving the villa through a
gracious choirbox. The villa looks like a fortified castle, closed by strong
high walls strengthened by buttresses. The prospect is made by flanked
structures, sucessively built through the main door, you enter a large, rustic
courtyard, where all farming activity was held, and on the left through a
little door you are led to a stairway with balustrades in “piperno”. This
stairway goes to the first floor where the painted ceiling can be admired.
VILLA UMMARINO - Via Antonio Gramsci,
90
Today the villa isvery sub-divided and having been restored in the
1880’s has nothing of the 18th century look. A 18th century “serliana” between
the atrium and the courtyard is the only
famous element, while the lacework and small arches of the lower tower, on the
south of the courtyard, remind us of ancient coastal viewing towers.
VILLA ZAMPAGLIONE - Via Enrico Pessina, 32
The villa was bought by the Riario Sforza Family and was given as a
dowry to a member of the family who married Baron Lorenzo Zampaglione. The
Zampaglione Family continued to use the villa for holidays. Gleijeses says that
the original property was made up of 7000 sq metres, and describes also the
frescoes and the decorations of the villa. The architectural solution of the
four very large windows on the first floor tranformed the salon into a “winter
garden”. Today the villa appears in a bad state, the entrance door to the villa
was in “piperno” stone as we can see from the interna structure which is now
revealed, after the fall of external plasterwork. At the bottom of the garden
there was a sanctuary, containing a bust of St.Gennaro but we cannot enter
owing to a wall built in order to subdivide the property.