Villa Aldobrandini

Coming to Frascati from Rome, the first outstanding residence you will bump into is Villa Aldobrandini. It is the most important Roman construction in Frascati, also known as Belvedere, thanks to the suggestive panoramic position. Goethe, as guest of the villa, said: "you could unlikely find a villa so impressively well-positioned".

The property was erected in 1550 for want of Monsignor Alessandro Rufini, and rebuilt by Giacomo della Porta in 1598, oncommission of Pope Clement VII, as present for his favourite nephew, Pietro Aldobrandini. The wonderful interiors exhibit decorations made by important Roman artists of that time, like: the brothers Zuccari, Passignano, Domenichino and Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalièr d'Arpino.

You will find stunning the rustic and monumental Teatro delle Acque (Theatre of Waters), made by Carlo Maderno and Orazio Olivieri, who gave his services for the splendid fountains of Villa d'Este in Tivoli.