Villa La Quiete [ENG]

AudioZoom® by eArs7 - Rotunda of Holm Oaks and the Villa after LavinioOur journey through the park and the history of Villa La Quiete comes to an end here at the evocative Rotunda of Holm Oaks. Before we say goodbye, we would like to tell you about some of the more recent events that have shaped the history of this villa after the death of its last private owner.In 1864, after the death of Lavinio de' Medici Spada, the villa was inherited by his brother Alessandro and later sold by his nephew Tommaso. Villa La Quiete would never again be used as a permanent residence and took on various roles and functions over the years.During World War II, the villa gained an unfortunate reputation as a women’s internment camp. Sanitary conditions were so dire that the camp was closed in 1942 following numerous complaints from the Red Cross. However, the villa’s wartime story did not end there. In 1943, it hosted about fifty colonial representatives from Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Libya, who had come to Italy to take part in the 1940 Triennial Exhibition of Italian Overseas Lands colonized by Fascist Italy. One notable figure from this period is Carlo Abbamagal, an Ethiopian who chose to join the Resistance.The villa also served as a temporary refuge for the Second Polish Army Corps during the war. Led by Commander Władysław Anders, this brave regiment stayed here in July 1944, shortly before liberating Ancona from Nazi-Fascist forces.After the war, the villa became a kindergarten, which continued until 1980. It was then granted on loan to a private individual. In 2016, La Quiete returned to public ownership, thanks to the dedication of institutions and the local community, and became part of the heritage of the City of Treia.Thank you for joining us on this journey through history, nature, and wonder. We hope the beauty of this place has brought you the same tranquility that Lavinio Spada cherished as he strolled along these avenues, immersed in a timeless peace.

AudioZoom® by eArs6 - The Capuchin woods and the neo-Gothic gazeboYou are now in the heart of the park of Villa La Quiete. Beside you stands the neo-Gothic gazebo, strategically positioned so it can be clearly seen from both the panoramic terraces and the circular flowerbed of the entrance atrium. The gazebo seamlessly combines various architectural elements: pointed arches and Gothic pinnacles accompany neoclassical pediments, while the roof evokes the design of Chinese pagodas. This location is no coincidence—the structure symbolically marks the transition from the formal gardens of the northern section to the romantic woodland gardens stretching to the south. This meeting of contrasting garden styles, reflected in the gazebo's eclectic architecture, was influenced by Anglo-Chinese gardens, which were highly fashionable in the 19th century. The rise in popularity of gazebos during this period was closely tied to the success of publications promoting romantic gardens as spaces of contemplation and harmony with nature.To your left, along the avenue in a slightly secluded position, lies the neo-Egyptian pavilion. Its original function is uncertain: its design, reminiscent of a funerary chapel, suggests a possible commemorative purpose but this is not confirmed by the sources. Its true purpose remains unknown, adding an air of mystery befitting the land of the pharaohs.The central avenue, culminating in the striking rotunda of holm oaks, was once part of the Via Crucis when the convent was still active. During the 19th century, as the park was transformed, the forest was enriched with winding, English-style paths. The panoramic terraces along the southern edges, offering splendid views of the surrounding landscape, also date from this period.To reach the final information point, take the avenue to the left.This is a flat, straight path that ends with a few steps and a long staircase leading to a terrace overlooking the surrounding countryside. Turn right and climb the steep slope, which leads to the picturesque Rotunda of Holm Oaks, a large grassy clearing surrounded by these evergreen trees, arranged in a semicircle. Cross the clearing on the right to reach the seventh and final information point.

AudioZoom® by eArs5 - The rear of the Villa and the Rose GardenThe south, north, and west facades of Villa La Quiete display remarkable harmony between the exterior architecture and the interior spaces, despite some irregularities due to the building's original layout as a convent. The exterior appearance of these three sides presents variations on the main façade and shares several of its elements: a horizontal cornice divides the façade in half, and on the main floor—the piano nobile—there are Tuscan-style smooth columns with circular bases. All the sides feature a crenelated cornice and a balustrade adorned with oval shapes, details that bestow an air of elegance on the villa.In 1848, Lavinio Spada married the Polish Countess Natalia Komar and retired to private life in this villa. Natalia’s sister, Delphine Komar, was celebrated as the muse of the composer Fryderyk Chopin, who dedicated several works to her. Following Natalia’s death in 1860, Lavinio ordered a small Pantheon to be built in her memory inside the villa.The romantic rose garden before you was originally part of the garden of the old Capuchin monastery. Today, it has been enhanced with a circular fountain at the centre. Many of the rose species documented in the Garden Catalogue of 1854 are preserved here, some of them of great value. It recalls the sumptuousness of a nineteenth-century garden.To reach the next information point, walk back across the rose garden until you reach the villa. Go to the right side of the building, where a gentle descent will lead you back to the elliptical forecourt. With the villa behind you, turn right. In front of you, in a spacious circular clearing, stands the neo-Gothic gazebo, a tall octagonal structure. Walk halfway around the clearing with the gazebo at the centre until you see three avenues leading to the Capuchin Woods.

AudioZoom® by eArs4 - The VillaThe information point at this stage features a tactile bas-relief of the villa's façade.In front of you stands the villa, with two floors connected to the forecourt by a wide staircase. The façade blends harmoniously with the surrounding landscape, exemplifying the balance and elegance of the neoclassical style in every detail.As mentioned, a Capuchin monastery once stood here—a small religious complex active until 1810. The original structure was simple and unadorned, with a central corridor linking the church, sacristy, refectory, and monks' cells.The villa's current appearance reflects the vision of Luigi Angelini, Gonfalonier of Treia. Angelini assigned the task of converting the convent into a villa to the architect Giuseppe Valadier, a celebrated neoclassical urban planner renowned for projects such as the redesign of Piazza del Popolo in Rome. Here in Treia, Valadier designed a façade with a few essential features that is both sober and monumental. The villa's grandeur is rivalled only by the breathtaking view from the cast-iron balustrade of the belvedere, which overlooks the Potenza River valley and the Adriatic Sea. This natural setting is further enriched by the majestic presence of red cedars and maritime pines, adding a romantic touch to the panorama.To reach the next information point, go around the main rotunda until you come to a gentle slope on the right side of the façade. This path leads to the rear of the villa, where you will find a rose garden. Arranged in a semicircular parterre, the garden is intersected by two pathways that cross at its centre. Walk past the central fountain until you reach the opposite side of the villa.

AudioZoom® by eArs3 - The Orchard and the neo-Gothic greenhouseYou are now in the orchard, a large terraced garden supported by imposing walls that rise up to eight metres.On your right there is the neo-Gothic-style greenhouse with two crenellated turrets on either side, which frame an elegant glass structure. Despite its secluded location, the greenhouse held special significance for Lavinio Spada. As an active member of the Roman Horticultural Society, he transformed Villa La Quiete into a veritable botanical paradise, home to more than 10,000 species of flowers and trees, including camellias, begonias, and fuchsias.This rich botanical heritage was meticulously documented in the Garden Catalogue, compiled in 1854 by the gardener, Raffaele Amicucci. Thanks to this record, we know that the park was adorned with a vast collection of citrus trees and other prized species, which, then as now, provide a valuable example of biodiversity. The garden continues the 19th-century tradition of its owner, hosting local varieties of fruit trees such as pears, apples, peaches, cherries, and plums, along with ornamental plants, artichokes, vegetables, and medicinal and aromatic herbs. The plants are arranged in neat flowerbeds in different colours and make a picturesque setting for a leisurely stroll.To reach the next information point, leave the orchard and, with the Gardener's House behind you, walk down the driveway. After passing a circular flowerbed, continue until a large elliptical square suddenly opens up ahead. In the centre of the square is the main rotunda; on the left, the square is bordered by the belvedere, and Villa La Quiete is on the right. Pass to the left of the central rotunda, with its elliptical fountain surrounded by flowerbeds, and proceed to the information point marking the next stage.

AudioZoom® by eArs2 - The Entrance AtriumThe gardener's house in the centre is flanked by two pairs of propylaea to the right and left, along with hedges of holm oaks running parallel to the two central flower beds. Here, visitors are warmly welcomed and immediately introduced to the grandeur of the park and villa.Although the gardener's house was built after the villa, it incorporates several of its architectural features. The façade has a central arch, now bricked up, which suggests it was once intended to be the main entrance. However, this plan was never carried out. On the left side of the building, the house is connected to a propylaeum by a loggia of six lowered arches: a portico open on one side.The propylaea are the four imposing quadrangular structures topped with sculptures and act as a monumental entrance to the park; one is directly connected to the loggia. These structures recall the propylaea of Villa Borghese in Rome, a place dear to Lavinio Spada and one he frequently visited in his role as secretary of the Roman Horticultural Society.After the death of his wife Natalia Komar, the count converted the propylaea into funerary monuments, adding a cinerary urn and a broken column on top as symbols of mourning.Beyond the propylaea, the avenue framed by holm oak hedges culminates in the main rotunda. This scenic path was carefully designed to conceal the villa's façade with greenery until the very last moment. At the end of the avenue, the effect is deliberately theatrical: the majestic neoclassical façade suddenly appears on the right, taking visitors’ breath away.To reach the next information point, turn right with the gardener's house behind you. After passing the second propylaeum, follow the gentle slope that leads to the orchard.

AudioZoom® by eArs1 - Entrance: Historical Notes and General OverviewVilla La Quiete is also known as Villa Spada after its most illustrious owner, Count Lavinio de Medici Spada: he was a prominent figure in the Risorgimento, a passionate mineralogist and botanist and a man of letters. His youthful verses were praised by the poet Vincenzo Monti and he was a close friend of the great Giacomo Leopardi.Villa La Quiete in all its grandeur awaits us just beyond these gardens with its strikingly elegant neoclassical façade. This appearance, however, is the result of numerous architectural transformations.The villa’s origins date back to 1036, when the Church of San Savino stood on this site, later replaced in 1578 by a Capuchin monastery. In 1812, Luigi Angelini, the Gonfalonier of Treia, ordered its conversion into a noble residence. When the property passed to Count Spada in 1828, the villa and the park were further enriched with exotic and picturesque elements. These included the gardener's house near the park entrance, the greenhouse, the neo-Gothic gazebo, and the mysterious Egyptian-style pavilion.After a military career in the service of Pope Gregory XVI and Pope Pius IX, Count Spada retired to private life, dedicating his time to the study of botany and his extraordinary mineral collection. The name of the villa itself, "La Quiete" (The Quiet), reflects his quest for tranquility—a philosophy that pervades the atmosphere while strolling through its grounds, along tree-lined avenues, through the rose garden, the lush orchard, and the ancient Capuchin woods.Begin your visit at the ticket office. At each stage along the route, you’ll find an information point with a panel in Braille, about one metre from the ground, along with a QR code to access an audio description of the site.