Villa Doria d’Angri, one of the most prominent Italian neoclassical villas, is the school venue during days 1, 3, and 4 of the school and will also host social events such as the welcome reception and the social dinner.
The villa has been part of the heritage of the University of Naples Parthenope since 1998 and is intended for higher education, national and international scientific conferences, and cultural meetings. It is home to the precious collection of static models of ships and parts of merchant and military vessels, nautical instruments, and equipment preserved within the Naval Museum. Furthermore, it is the venue of AWS Academy.
Origins and history
The villa, which stands majestically on a tufaceous spur of the Posillipo hill, was built at the behest of Prince Marcantonio Doria d’Angri, the last prominent exponent of the noble family of Genoese origin. Inside a vast plot of land, partly steep and steep, partly gently sloping along the ridge, the leisure residence must have had a courtly character, in keeping with the prestigious role that the prince held at court in those years.
The Doria property extended along the crest of the hill and reached the Mergellina beach with terraces of vineyards and fruit trees. The estate came to the noble family in 1592 through a donation from Vittoria Carafa, was transformed from a farm into a neoclassical princely residence by the architect Bartolomeo Grasso and completed in 1833. It also represents a tangible sign of the rank of the Doria family and their seafaring traditions. After the death of Prince Marcantonio in 1837, the manor was rented and lately sold to the English noble Ellinor Giovanna Susanna Maitland. The building has been part of the real estate assets of the University of Naples Parthenope since 1998.
Location and architecture
The Villa was inserted in a vast agricultural estate and, at the same time, obeyed the idea of a panoramic villa, a real alternative to the city home. The large 18,000 m2 park surrounding the structure has paths and ramps up the hill. The beautiful terrace surrounds the entire structure featuring, a loggia with four Ionic columns and terraces on each side, designed as hanging gardens with water features and fountains. The octagonal Chinese pagoda, placed on a circular bastion that emerges from a tufaceous rock, was built by Antonio Francesconi to attract attention, using a language in striking contrast with the architecture of the Villa above.
Famous guests
In 1880 Villa Doria d’Angri hosted Richard Wagner for several months. Here, the German composer continued to work on his last great opera “Parsifal” and wrote the autobiographical book “My Life”. On the patio, overlooking the Hall of the Villa, on May 22, 1880, maestro Joseph Rubinstein premiered the first act of “Parsifal” on the piano. Since then, the room where Wagner stayed, also called the Hall of Mirrors, has been called the “Wagner Room”.
Source: Uniparthenope