Research Catalog

Title

The Villa Wolkonsky in Rome : history of a hidden treasure / John Shepherd ; with contributions from Raffaella Bucolo, Sue J. Williams, Julie Toffolo.

Author

Shepherd, John, Sir

Publication

• London : Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2021.
• ©2021

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Bucolo, Raffaella
• Williams, Sue J.
• Toffolo, Julie

Description

336 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), maps; 25 cm

Summary

The Villa Wolkonsky, Rome, is the incongruously named official residence of the British ambassador to Italy. Nestled within the city's Aurelian Wall, the site's history dates back to antiquity, its gardens dominated by the remains of a first-century imperial Roman aqueduct. In the 19th century a remarkable Russian princess, Zenaïde Wolkonsky, turned it into a country home and salon d'art with such illustrious visitors as Gogol, Turgenev and Walter Scott. Following generations excavated Roman tombs, collected antiquities and built a new grand mansion, before selling the Villa to the German government in 1922. It remained the German embassy, being much enlarged, until the Liberation of Rome in 1944. After the war the UK bought it, first as embassy offices and residence and, since 1971, as the residence for the ambassador and other staff. In this handsomely illustrated volume, Sir John Shepherd, former ambassador, has undertaken new research to debunk long-held myths and present, for the first time, a comprehensive history of this hidden Roman treasure.

Subject

• Villa Wolkonsky (Rome, Italy) > History
• Great Britain. Embassy (Italy) > Buildings
• Ambassadors > Dwellings > Italy > Rome
• Ambassadors > Dwellings
• Buildings
• Rome (Italy) > Buildings, structures, etc
• Italy > Rome

Genre/Form

History.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-329) and index.

Contents

Machine generated contents note: 1. Aqueducts, Basilicas and Chapels -- 2. A Vineyard Transformed by a Princess -- 3. After Zenaide: Alexander and the Chains -- 4. Time for a Proper Mansion, but the Dream Cannot Last -- 5. The Germans Find a New Embassy -- 6. The Twenties: Penny-pinching Years for Neurath -- 7. The Thirties: The Hitler-Mussolini Alliance -- 8. The Villa at Last Enlarged and Revamped -- 9. The New Grand Residence -- 10. The Even Grander Plan: The New Chancery that Never was -- 11. A Sudden and Messy End to an Embassy -- 12. The German Occupation's Muddled Start -- 13. The Occupation Rampant -- 14. Rome Liberated: The Fate of the Villa Wolkonsky -- 15. A T̀emporary' Home for the Bombed-out British -- 16. The UK Buys the Villa Wolkonsky -- Slowly -- 17. The Responsibilities of Ownership: Conserving the Aqueduct -- 18. What to Do about New Offices? -- 19. The Saga of the Basil Spence Chancery at Porta Pia -- 20. Wanted: A New Residence-Really? -- 21. Full Circle at the Casino -- APPENDICES -- I. The Villa Wolkonsky Antiquities Collection / Raffaella Bucolo -- II. Memorials in the Villa Wolkonsky, 1990 (rev. 2019) / Sue J. Williams -- ANNEXES -- I. Pictures Hung in the German Embassy, Rome, to 1943 / Julia Toffolo -- II. Report by Mertz on the Project to Extend the Ambassador's Residence in Rome, 1940 -- III. Bailey's Interim Report on the Conservation of the Aqueduct, 19 July 1960 -- IV. British Embassy Rome Case for Retaining the Villa Wolkonsky, 7 December 1972 -- V. People and Dates.

Call Number

JFE 22-1478

ISBN

• 1785513257
• 9781785513251

OCLC

1198016809

Author

Shepherd, John, Sir, author.

Title

The Villa Wolkonsky in Rome : history of a hidden treasure / John Shepherd ; with contributions from Raffaella Bucolo, Sue J. Williams, Julie Toffolo.

Publisher

London : Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2021.

Copyright Date

©2021

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-329) and index.

Added Author

Bucolo, Raffaella, contributor.

Williams, Sue J., contributor.

Toffolo, Julie, contributor.

Research Call Number

JFE 22-1478