Video Guide for Villa Aldini + Madonna del Monte - Bologna

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Erected 1811-1816 by Aldini on the designs of Giuseppe Nadi that includes La Rotonda della Madonna del Monte. Originally built for Napoleon who never even visited it. Now the office for the charity GVC. An impressive façade by Giacomo de Maria and the round chapel dating to 1100s at the back with impressive frescoes and Romanesque architecture.

Travel Video Tags for Villa Aldini + Madonna del Monte:

Villa Aldini , Madonna del Monte , Napoleon , Antonio Aldini , GVC , Guido Zucchini , frescoes , Picciola , Giuseppe Nadi , Giacomo de Maria ,

Some of our other Video Guides for Bologna

• The G. Capellini Geology & Palaeontology Museum
• Galleria Marabini
• Santa Teresa del Bambino Gesu
• Marconi’s first home
• Marisa Montanari Parish Library
• San Petronio Basilica – outside
• Anthropology & Zoology Museum
• Via dell’Osservanza
• Due Torre
• Mercato delle Erbe
• San Donato Church
• San Girolamo della Certosa
• Chiesa di San Barbaziano
• Via Del Pratello
• Villa Baruzziana
• Palazzetto dello Sport
• Hermes Statue
• Oratorio San Filippo Neri
• Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument
• San Rocco Oratory
• Santissimo Salvatore part 2
• San Pietro Cathedral
• San Bartholemew Basilica
• San Michele in Bosco 2
• Ss. Gregorio e Siro church

Villa Aldini + Madonna del Monte - Photos

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Villa Aldini + Madonna del Monte Travel Video - Audio Transcript

Villa Aldini + Madonna del Monte

Near the peak on the Osservanza road is this incredible mansion called Villa Aldini. It’s without doubt one of Bologna’s most characteristic villas on these hills surrounding the city.

It was constructed by Antonio Aldini on the designs of Giuseppe Nadi between 1811-1816. Aldini was a lawyer in Bologna and actually had the villa built for the sole purpose as a holiday home for Napoleon.

In 1815 the façade of the building was decorated with this marvellous sculpture of the Olympia by Giacomo de Maria.

The house soon fell to ruin as it was incidentally tied to Napoleon’s fate when he was defeated in 1816.

At the back of the building is the ex-oratory or ‘round’ chapel of the Madonna del Monte with contemporary frescoes dating back to the 12th century.

At present the villa is occupied by a Non-Governmental Organisation called GVC which seeks to help those in developing countries.

The villa was integrated into the round chapel Madonna del Monte and its use was designed as a music hall as well as for dining and entertaining guests. Sadly though, these days it seems to remain closed.

It was restored thanks to Guido Zucchini in 1939 and more light was shed onto its origins as a hermitage for nuns. Legend records that it was initially built in a circle because in 1116 Picciola, son of Alberto Galluzzi, witnessed a dove bringing pieces of wood and lay them down in a circle. Later, when he recounted this story to the Archbishop Vittore II advised him that this was a divine signal and indicated that the chapel must be built this way.

In the 14th century it was aligned with the church of San Procolo a few hundred meters further up the hill and in the 15th century it’s name changed to Santa Maria dell Vittoria

The chapel is most famous for images of the Madonna and the apostles from the 12th century, rare examples of Romanesque art. The architectonics were also probably influenced by those early churches in Ravenna.

Bologna and the surrounding hills only appear a short distance away yet this place offers a wonderful feeling of solitude and tranquility away from the busy life below.

References

http://www.mediaetatisodalicium.org/iniziative2005-06.html

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