Romance of Roman Villas (The Renaissance)

About this book

The work is a richly illustrated survey of the great Renaissance villas that once served as the sumptuous country homes of Rome’s most powerful cardinals and papal families. Champney opens with a lyrical, almost theatrical stanza that introduces a cardinal in scarlet robes, then moves into a panoramic overview of how the villas of the sixteenth century, built by princes of the purple and named after families from across Italy, came to dominate the Roman landscape. The author traces the rise of papal nepotism, the lavish patronage of figures such as Sixtus IV, Leo X, and Pope Paul III, and the consequent flood of artistic commissions by masters like Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo. Interwoven with anecdotes about legendary women, Vittoria Colonna, Giulia Gonzaga, Pauline Bonaparte, the narrative promises a blend of architectural description, historical gossip, and cultural context, all anchored by the author’s footnotes and a wealth of period illustrations.

Champney’s voice is that of an early‑20th‑century antiquarian, combining scholarly detail with a romantic, almost poetic enthusiasm for the ruins and their former splendor. The prose is dense, peppered with quotations from contemporary poets and a steady stream of names, dates, and artistic references, reflecting the scholarly style of the era while retaining a narrative flair. Readers who delight in the intersection of art history, Renaissance politics, and the personal dramas of Italy’s elite, especially those who enjoy richly documented, image‑laden studies of historic architecture, will find this book both informative and evocative.