Time and human neglect plunged the sixteenth-century Villa in solemn
decadence.
With competence and authentic passion, the historical building is finally
restored and can be admired by visitors.
Expert gardeners have skilfully redesigned the Italian Garden and the 15.000m².
Woody park to match the patterns, followed centuries ago by the original
architect.
From windows, lounges and terraces, the Villa offers spectacular views. At
sunset, on the horizon, the sea sparkles with the shimmering reflection of the
dying sun, and on the other side, Rome becomes alive with twinkling lights.
Today, Villa Grazioli is an Italian National monument an enchanting
hotel with 58 rooms. Impressive halls, frescoed by seventeenth-century artists,
are available for meetings and receptions. The colours of frescoes, created by
G.P.Pannini in the eighteenth century, appear so lively to the admirer that one
would think they were freshly painted.
The Villa has been equipped with the most advanced utilities so that the
guests can enjoy the comforts of a modern and functional hotel.
The bedrooms have been furnished and decorated in line with the character of the
building: wood, pottery and precious fabrics enrich the furniture, which has
been chosen for its prestige, as well as for its elegant lines.
Hospitality professionals offer an impeccable service, in line with the
tradition of the “Relais & Chateaux ” group, of which Park Hotel Villa
Grazioli is a part.
Ample choice of typical Roman and Mediterranean dishes are offered in
Acquaviva Restaurant, situated on the ground floor of the Villa.
Park Hotel Villa Grazioli is easily reached from Rome by taking Via Tuscolana or
Via Appia Antica, southbound to Frascati. When in Frascati, follow the signs to
Villa Grazioli. Ample and secure car parking is provided.
HistoryVilla Grazioli rises on top of a hill, in a nearly hidden environment,
the land sloping down to the Tyrrenian Sea, whose shiny surface can be seen in
the distance.
The identity of the founder seems very obscure. Early engravings mention a
Cardinal Acquaviva of Peretti Montalto and set the foundation of the building at
the end of the 16th Century. From a memorial stone, on which is engraved a
“brief” by Pope Gregorius XIII, we understand that Cardinal Carafa
commissioned the construction of the Villa and that it was completed by 1580.
At the death of Cardinal Carafa in 1582, the property of the Villa goes jointly,
perhaps by inheritance or purchases, to Cardinal Ottavio Acquaviva of Aragon, of
the House of Atri, and his brother.
When Cardinal Acquaviva dies in 1612, the Villa is purchased completely
furnished by Scipione Borghese, who sells it in 1613 to Cardinal Taverna. A year
later, Prince Michele Peretti purchases the Villa and sets up residence along
with his brother Cardinal Alessandro Damasconi Peretti Montalto, whose name
appears in the engravings by Greuter of Frascati’s landscape.
The Villa then passes through inheritance to the Savelli family and, in 1683
passes to Olivo or Livio Odescalchi, Duke of Bracciano and Ceri, the reason why
the Villa was then known as Villa Bracciano. In 1713 the successor to the title
and the property is Baldassare Erba, married to a Borghese.
In 1776, Baldassare Erba has the old 15th Century building thoroughly
restructured, in form and size. A Witness to this important renewing is a
traveller that was hosted by the Villa at that time, Alphonse Donatien Francois,
Marquis de Sade.
The Collegio Propaganda Fide purchases the Villa in 1833 and sells it 10 years
later to the Duke Pio Grazioli whose family keeps the property for more than a
century. During World War II, in between 1943 and 1944, bombs destroy the whole
area surrounding Frascati, consequently the Villa is occupied by squatters and
then left in a state of total desolation.
In 1987 the Company Villa Grazioli purchases the building and starts a thorough
restoration of the architecture, the decorations and the park surrounding the
Villa, which has been the subject of a National competition for the redesigning
of the garden.
Villa Grazioli Restaurant - Sumptuous traditional Roman and
Mediterranean cuisine served in four formal dining rooms decorated in peach and
dusk shades with hanging chandeliers and antique furniture. Dinner is also
served on the garden terrace with views over Rome.
Acquaviva Restaurant
The aristocratic families of medieval Rome and influential members of the Church
knew how to live and therefore chose the most beautiful and tranquil spots away
from the hustle and bustle of the Eternal City. This is how in 1580 the Villa
Grazioli came to be built on the rolling hills of this ancient landscape of the
Tusculum. Even in those distant days the Villa was a well known meeting place
for artists,poets,architects and other famous personalities of the time such as
the Marquis de Sade, who describes the house in his writings as one of the most
elegant country houses in this part of the Latium Region.
After many years of neglect, the Villa has been completely renovated and
lovingly restored by the present owners between 1987 –1997 and now reveals the
wonderful treasures of its illustrious past.The genuine historical ambience of
this 4 star hotel is complemented by a fine restaurant offering excellent
mediterranean food and selected wines of the most traditional and famous Italian
wine region. We are proud to welcome guests from all corners of the world and
wish you will have a very enjoyable stay at the Parkhotel Villa Grazioli.
