House of the Owls

Duration: 1 hour

The Casina delle Civette Museum is located in a secluded position in the park of Villa Torlonia in Rome and is one of the hidden beauties of the capital. Its name derives from the presence of the owl almost everywhere, one of the many esoteric symbols loved by Prince John. There is even an entire Room of the owls, embellished with beautiful stained glass windows with this animal perched on ivy branches.
Until 1938 the Casina delle Civette had been the home of Prince Giovanni Torlonia junior, at the time it was known as the Swiss hut because of its appearance very similar to that of an alpine refuge.
It is currently a museum that seems to come out of a storybook. Designed in 1840 by Giuseppe Jappelli on commission from Prince Alessandro Torlonia, the Casina delle Civette has changed over time, in fact, if before the architecture appeared rustic, now it has a refined appearance with arcades, turrets and loggias.
The wonderful thing about the interior of the Casina are the windows, all dating back to the period between 1908 and 1930 and made by Cesare Picchiarini’s laboratory based on a design by Duilio Cambellotti and Umberto Bottazzi among others. We are talking about the golden age for liberty, and these windows reach true heights of beauty and skill.