12/08/2022
LIKE MOST THINGS in Rome, Villa Pamphili (officially called Villa Doria Pamphili, sometimes spelled Villa Pamphilj) has a long and illustrious history.
Back when the city of Rome stopped at the Aurelian walls (you will have passed through them at Porta San Pancrazio), the noble Pamphilj family decided they needed a little country house. (The family also had palaces on Piazza Navona and Via del Corso- I guess even back before the days of mass tourism the center of Rome could feel rather crowded.)
It started off as a little casino (small country house) but when Giambattista Pamphilj managed to get himself elected Pope Innocent X in 1644, clearly such a humble dacha was insufficient for the successor to St Peter. (Being a servant of God rarely stopped Popes from desiring a bit of bling and luxury to pamper themselves.)
(As an aside, you may have seen Innocent X's face before- there's a famous portrait by Velasquez, and Innocent received a second round of posthumous fame when Francis Bacon painted him as the Screaming Pope)
A new villa was built and this is the one that still stands today at the heart of Villa Pamphili. Although built when Baroque was very much the flavour du jour, the villa is more Mannerist/Renaissance in style, and is still known as the Casino (but don't get too excited- there's no Black Jack or roulette in sight.)
Of course, what use is a country villa if you can't go for a stroll? The building is surrounded by a 'secret garden', manicured grounds, lemon trees, a few follies and a (now defunct) water grotto.
