Perched on a hill with panoramic views of Lake Piediluco, in the territory of Terni, nestled in a park, stands Villa Franchetti or “Villalago”. It was commissioned by Baron Eugenio Franchetti between 1888 and 1893 as a family “holiday home”, who at the time resided in Florence; the building, designed by architect G. Boccini, is clearly inspired by Neo-Renaissance style, with a typically Tuscan character. The villa is developed over three floors. Welcoming visitors is the main façade with the entrance door set within a walled Serliana loggia. Striking is the rear elevation characterized by a portico with a central Serliana, topped by the first-floor terrace. Inside, the villa houses an important central staircase with beautiful period flooring and ground floor salons with vaulted ceilings decorated with stuccoes, plasterwork, or wood. One of the salons was painted by the Terni artist Giulio Mirimao. The caretaker’s house and the former stables complete the complex. The villa’s grounds consist of a vast naturalistic English-style landscape park, created by utilizing the pre-existing woods mainly composed of sessile oaks and supplemented by new plantings. Along the west side of the villa opens a small garden consisting of a grassy parterre with a central fountain. From here, the green spaces begin to slope down towards the valley with a series of panoramic terraces until reaching the open-air theater, which until a few years ago hosted outdoor cultural and recreational events. However, the feature that truly makes Villalago’s park unique is the presence of spontaneous orchids that have found the ideal conditions to grow in this location. Thirty species have been recorded so far, along with some hybrid forms. The villa is now owned by the Provincial Administration of Terni.
Information about Villa Franchetti or “Villalago”
Loc. Voc. Alferini,
05100 Terni (Terni)
0744423047
Source: MIBACT
