ENGLISH * VESUVIAN
VILLAS
SEEN
FROM ABOVE, THE LAND WHICH STRETCHES FROM NAPLES TO TORRE DEL GRECO BETWEEN
VESUVIUS AND THE SEA IS NOWADAYS COVERED BY A FRANTIC MASS OF ANONYMOUS APARTMENT-BLOCKS
- YET, EVEN FROM THIS HEIGHT, IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO MAKE OUT, IN THE JUNGLE
OF TERRACES AND TELEVISION AERIALS, DISCREETLY ELEGANT BUILDINGS SUGGESTIVE
OF A DIFFERENT PERIOD AND CIVILIZATION. THESE ARE THE EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY VESUVIAN
VILLAS, A GROUP OF ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECES WHICH, AT THE TIME OF WRITING,
A SPECIALLY APPOINTED COMMISSION CHAIRED BY THE MAYOR OF NAPLES, PIETRO LEZZI,
IS ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE TO THEIR BYGONE SPLENDOUR.
THESE ARCHITECTURAL AND
ARTISTIC GEMS STUDDING THE COAST NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE ALL TOGETHER.
EACH IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THE OTHER, ALMOST AS IF THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS
SET THEMSELVES TO COMPETE WITH THE TASTE AND ELEGANCE OF THE BOURBON ROYAL
FAMILY. WHEN CHARLES III CHOSE THE VILLA AT PORTICI AS HIS SUMMER RESIDENCE,
HIS COURT WAS OBLIGED TO FOLLOW HIM: JUST AS IN THE PAST, ROUND THE CASTEL
CAPUANO THE NEAPOLITAN NOBILITY BUILT THEMSELVES THE SUPERB PALACES ONE CAN
STILL ADMIRE TODAY IN THE OLD CENTRE, SO SPRANG UP, ROUND THE ROYAL VILLA
AT PORTICI, THESE SPLENDID SUMMER RESIDENCES FOR THE COURT ARISTOCRACY.
WITH THE SUCCESSION TO
POWER OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY, THE VILLA AT PORTICI WAS NO LONGER USED AS A
SUMMER RESIDENCE; THE OTHER VILLAS WERE ALSO ABANDONED BY THEIR OWNERS, AND
SO BEGAN THE LONG DECLINE WHICH WAS TO MARK THE YEARS TO COME.
IT IS INTERESTING TO OBSERVE
FROM ABOVE THE DESIGN OF THESE VILLAS. ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE A COURTYARD
WITH AN ELLIPTICAL GROUNDPLAN OR AN EXEDRA WHICH WAS ONCE ADORNED WITH STATUES,
LIKE A STAGE-SET. EXAMPLES ARE VILLA BUONO, PALAZZO BISIGNANO, VILLA BRUNO
PROTA. SOME FACE THE SEA, WITH A DESCENDING SERIES OF TERRACES ON EITHER SIDE
OF MAGNIFICIENT GARDENS, SUCH AS VILLA LEONE, VILLA VANNUCCHI AND VILLA LAURO
LANCELLOTTI.
THE DESIGN OF THE VESUVIAN
VILLAS ANTICIPATED THE IDEAS OF THE AMERICAN ARCHITECT FRANK LLYD WRIGHT BY
TWO HUNDRED YEARS: THEY WERE BUILT IN HARMONY WITH THE NATURE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS.
THE GARDENS ARE MASTERPIECES OF DESIGN: FAMOUS BOTANISTS HAD HELPED TO CREATE
THEM. AS WELL AS TREES, THEY INCLUDED A HUGE VARIETY OF BOTANICAL RARITIES.
IT IS THEREFORE THANKS TO THE COLLABORATION OF DISTINGUISHED ARCHITECTS SUCH
AS FERDINANDO SANFELICE, DOMENICO ANTONIO VACCARO, FERDINANDO FUGA, ANTONIO
MEDRANO, LUIGI VANVITELLI WITH FAMOUS BOTANISTS LIKE TENORE (WHO ALSO FOUNDED
THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IN NAPLES), IF THESE VILLAS STILL SEEM TO BE NOT MERELY
INSERTED INTO THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE, BUT COMPLETELY INTEGRATED WITH IT.
WE CAN FIND EVEN FINER
VILLAS THAN THOSE AT PORTICI ON THE ROAD FROM ERCOLANO TO TORRE DEL GRECO,
WHICH WAS ONCE KNOWN, SIGNIFICANTLY, AS THE "GOLDEN MILE".
VILLA APRILE, WHICH ONCE
BELONGED TO THE RIARIO SFORZA FAMILY, IS A MASTERPIECE OF INVENTION AND EXTRAVAGANCE,
WITH ITS LITTLE ALPINE SHELTER, MINIATURE LAKE, AND MOCK-RUINS OF A CLASSICAL
TEMPLE. YET PRIDE OF PLACE MUST BE GIVEN TO VILLA CAMPOLIETO, NOW COMPLETELY
RESTORED AND USED FOR CULTURAL EVENTS OF OUTSTANDING IMPORTANCE PLAYS, CONCERTS,
EXHIBITIONS, CONFERENCES... FROM OUR HEIGHT WE CAN TAKE IN EVERYTHING. AN
ELLIPTICAL COLONNADE EXTENDS FROM THE MAIN PART OF THE BUILDING (BY VANVITELLI
IN NEO-CLASSICAL STYLE); FROM THE TERRACE/BELVEDERE ON TOP OF THE COLONNADE
THERE ARE DOORS LEADING INTO THE PIANO NOBILE OF THE HOUSE. UNFORTUNATELY,
WE CANNOT SEE INSIDE, BUT THE DOME WHICH IS VISIBLE IS ABOVE THE ENTRACE HALL,
A MAGNIFICIENT ROOM WITH A GREAT STAIRCASE REMINISCENT OF THE ONE IN THE ROYAL
PALACE AT CASERTA.
SLIGHTLY FURTHER UP THE
HILL, THERE IS A ROCOCO BUILDING VILLA RUGGIERO AND THEN, FINALLY, THE FAVORITA,
THE BEAUTIFUL NEO.CLASSICAL VILLA WHICH BELONGED TO THE BOURBONS AND WAS ONCE
SPLENDIDLY DECORATED WITH NUMEROUS WORKS OF ART. TOGETHER WITH NEARBY VILLA
CAMPOLIETO, THE FAVORITA IS THE MOST DISTINGUISHED VILLA IN THIS WHOLE GROUP.
