Villa Albani Torlonia: The Cradle of Neoclassicism

A journey through its emotional itineraries is unveiled for the very first time by the photographic masterpieces of Massimo Listri.

Villa Albani Torlonia, with its collections, the Italian garden, and the hemicycle of the Kaffeehaus, is a sublime testimony of that particular antiquarian taste which came to the fore in the mid-eighteenth century, that for which Rome became a favorite destination on the Grand Tour. The classicist dream of Cardinal Alessandro Albani (1692–1779), was preserved thanks to the Torlonia family, who purchased the villa in 1866, enlarging the collection and the gardens and restoring the most important cardinal residence of the eighteenth century.

More than 300 images by the great Italian master Massimo Listri recount the history of this extraordinary cultural heritage for the very first time. An immersive journey leads the reader between its collections of ancient masterpieces. Statues, bas-reliefs, and fountains are ensconced between the various buildings and gardens of the villa in a composition of environments, landscapes, and works of art forever waiting to be discovered.

About the Authors:

Massimo Listri is a photographer who has published more than 70 books and has exhibited his work at numerous solo exhibitions throughout the world. Carlo Gasparri is emeritus professor at the University of Naples Federico II and has authored several books about archaeology and Greek and Roman art. Raniero Gnoli is an Orientalist and historian of religions. Alvar González-Palacios is an author and art historian and former collaborator of FMR magazine.