To wander around the hallowed halls of Villa Albani-Torlonia in Rome, being surrounded by its vast collection of art and antiquities numbering to the hundreds a collection that includes masterpieces even top museums would be grateful to possess-was a privilege that one will remember for as long as time allows. Lauded as the cradle of neoclassicism, this villa has survived 275 years of history under the auspices of Fondazione Torlonia, its sprawling grounds of towering pine woods and oak-lined avenues leading to an exquisite parterre.
Commissioned in 1747 by Cardinal Alessandro Albani, who had an impressive collection of classical art, the villa's interiors are frescoed in marble. Desiring to stay true to French philosopher René Descartes' maxim of never leaving any space empty, the cardinal also had it filled to the brim with sculptures, mosaics and stuccoes over floors, walls and ceilings as well as every nook and cranny as far as the eye can see. Among the names involved in its conception and design was the German art historian, JJ Winckelmann, whose role in the rise of neoclassicism can never be downplayed.
Villa Albani-Torlonia was more than a place of residence, it was also a cultural venue. As such, it embodied the highest expressions of the antiquarian taste that defined Rome as the ultimate destination of the European custom known as the Grand Tour, especially for generations of art students who came in search of inspiration from the (then) newly discovered Greco-Roman ideals. And this inescapable sensory overload, this miasma of devastating beauty, was the frame of mind that Alessandro Michele wanted to relay at Gucci's presentation of its new Hortus Deliciarum high jewellery collection one bright summer morning.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Vogue Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من Vogue Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
YES, AYO!
Is Ayo Edebiri the most beloved new face in Hollywood? Alessandra Codinha meets the suddenly everywhere actor, comedian, writer, fashion darling... and soon-to-be director too?
The POET
After five years spent transforming the Singapore Writers Festival from its helm, poet, educator and former festival director Pooja Nansi is embarking on her next chapter. The title? Whatever her soul craves.
Globe TROTTER
Newly minted Tumi ambassador Mun Ka-young perfectly embodies the brand's new Asra collection.
A PERFECT 10
The hunt for sipping perfection ends with Belvedere 10, a single-estate rye vodka that takes the meaning of luxury to greater heights.
Harnessing THE WIND
How a trip to South Africa with & Beyond has changed the way I look at travel.
KIWI Beauty
There are numerous reasons why New Zealand should be your destination to visit, but for now Rosewood's trio of luxury lodges comes up on top.
Porto PORTUGAL
Lisbon's little sister may not be as reputed as the country's capital, but it certainly holds its weight with the cool cats in its stunning coastlines, elegant architecture, design-worthy hotels and a buzzing restaurant scene.
Edinburgh.SCOTLAND
Look past its reputation as a college town and you'll find a robust city with a creative soul, framed by gorgeous natural landscapes straight out of a painting.
Galle.SRILANKA
This postcard-worthy city on Sri Lanka's southern coast is a cauldron of grand colonial architecture, stunning views, delicious food and warm local culture-with a growing artist community to watch.
THROWN for ALOOP
Ernest Hemingway compared the influence and effects of Paris to a moveable feast. Well, how about a moveable, transformable feast for the eyes?