Villa Farnesina

The wealthy banker Agostino Chigi, commissioned Baldassare Peruzzi to build the villa in 1508. Chigi maintained excellent relations with the popes and artists of his time.

Many famous artists such as Raphael, Giulio Romano, Sodoma and Sebastiano del Piombo worked on the construction. The theme was Greek mythology. The most famous works are among others the “Council of the Gods” and the “Marriage of Amor and Psyche”.

The celebrations he organized were considered particularly extravagant. The guests were served with silver service personalized with their coats of arms. At the end they were invited to throw the precious tableware simply out of the window, into the Tiber. What the guests did not know, however, was that a hidden net was stretched out below, which caught everything safely.

The villa passed to the Farnese family in 1577.