The Villa Bruno Prota is one of the Vesuvian Villas in Torre del Greco. The 18th century villa, built to impress the then King, cannot be visited (unless one can afford to attend a wedding there).
Villa Prota Torre del Greco
Useful information
The address is Via Nazionale, 1009 – Torre del Greco. The Villa is not open to the public.
History and description
Of all the Vesuvian villas, the Villa Prota is one of the most impressive ones. From outside the villa, a look through the entrance gate gives a view of a park and the path that leads to the building. The main wing of the building was built on the side, which allows an unobstructed panoramic view.
In 1738, King Carlo di Borbone had a Royal Palace built in Portici. Immediately, many aristocratic Neapolitan families had magnificent villas built near this palace so that they could host the king as a guest in the summer.
In 1748, the architect Sanfelice converted an old building in the middle of a vineyard into the Villa Prota. This became one of the most striking buildings among the Ville Vesuviane located along the miglio d’oro (“golden mile”).
Over the centuries, the villa has always remained in the hands of the same family. The long driveway leads to a 400-meter-long horse riding track. In order to be able to construct this track, the grounds had to be raised by 4 meters.
The villa’s enormous park is partly occupied by a centuries-old pine forest. In the middle of the park, there is a kind of circular welcome room in the open air, surrounded by 18th century seats with the one reserved for the King in the middle.