The Casino dei Principi is one of the buildings in the Villa Torlonia Park in Rome. The Archivio della Scuola Romana has its seat in the Casino dei Principi, which is otherwise used for temporary exhibitions.
A brief history of the Casino dei Principi in Rome
The Casino dei Principi already existed in the 18th century, but its present appearance is the result of a renovation commissioned by Alessandro Torlonia from 1833 to 1840. The architect of the restoration was Giovan Battista Caretti.
Caretti, along with a group of painters, sculptors, and craftsmen, provided a complete transformation of both the exterior and interior of the palace.
What to see in the Casino dei Principi
Entrance
The four winged sphinxes were originally positioned in pairs at the Villa Torlonia entrance. They were moved to the Casino dei Principi in the early 20th century, when the Via Nomentana was widened and the original entrance demolished. There used to be six sphinxes, but two were moved elsewhere. The travertine sculptures are based on an early 19th century design by Giuseppe Valadier. Clemente Massimi and Girolamo Sartorio sculpted three sphinxes each.
Floor mosaics
The elaborate floor mosaics of the Gallery and the Dining Room were executed by Carlo Seni and designed by Giovan Battista Caretti.
The Gallery floor mosaic consists of three square panels, framed within a strip of bardiglio marble. The central panel contains an octagon, with four animal figures in the corners. There used to be a mosaic of Venus and Mars in the centre, but this has been moved to the Casina delle Civette. The two side panels contain a circle with the Torlonia coat of arms in the centre, surrounded by lozenges containing comets (symbol of the family) and cherubs.
The Dining Room mosaic is divided into squares, hexagons, triangles and eight large octagons, framed by bands of Bardiglio marble with contrasting bands of coloured marble. The compartments contain musical instruments and masks of Silenus, except the octagons, which hold four Maenads and four satyrs.
Address, opening times and ticket price
The address of the Casino dei Principi is Via Nomentana, 70 (tel. +39 060608, for reservations). Bus: 62, n66, n82, n66, n90 (stop: Nomentana/Trieste). Opening times: 09.00 to 19.00 (only when there are exhibitions). Closed: Monday, January 1, May 1, December 25. Entrance fee: Depending on the exhibition. RomaPass valid. Admission: A ticket for the exhibition in the Casino dei Principi + the Casino Nobile + the Casina delle Civette costs 9,50 Euro (7,50 Euro with discount).
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