Rome - Villa Madama

On the slopes of Monte Mario, on the side looking towards the city, is the Villa Madama, now used by the Italian government for receptions and conferences.

The villa was designed by Raphael for Cardinal Giulio de'Medici, later Pope Clement VII, and subsequently altered by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. It passed into the hands of "Madama" Margareta, daughter of the Emperor Charles V, who married Alessandro de'Medici as her first husband and Ottavio Farnese as her second, and in 1735 the property passed to the Bourbons of Naples. The villa fits harmoniously into its natural setting, and offers a magnificent view of the city.