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Designed by the architect G. Jappelli in 1840 as a country cottage or Swiss Cabin within Villa Torlonia, the Casina (Small House) was transformed in1908-1913 by architect Gennai to assume the appearance of a Medieval building. Between 1916 and 1920 the architect V. Fasolo created one of the most interesting architectonic structures of the time on behalf of prince Giovanni Torlonia with the contribution of well-known artists such as D. Cambellotti, P. Paschetto, U. Bottazzi, and V. Grassi. The Art Nouveau style decorations enriched the Casina with mosaic floors, majolicas, wall paintings, and above all stain glasses (vetrate). Due to the prevalence of decorations having owls (civette) as a theme, the building was called Casina delle Civette. On the death of prince Torlonia in 1939 the Casina was abandoned, housing the Anglo-American Military Command from 1944 to 1947. The severe damages to its frail structure and to the decorations took place at that time. In 1978 the whole area of the Villa was purchased by the Municipality of Rome that started long and expensive interventions of restoration on the buildings in the park. Once restored, the Casina was opened to the public as a Museum. The magnificent stain glass windows that decorate the large number of doors and windows realized between 1908 and 1930 with precious polychrome glasses fastened together by window-leads represent a unique example of the evolution of stain glasses in Rome at that time. The most beautiful and important stainglass windows are those by Cambellotti, such as the so-called Chiodo (Nail), representing a cascade of vine-leaves and bunches of grapes, as well as the various Civette (Owls), stylized representations of the nocturnal bird whose presence is almost obsessive in the decorations of the Casina, or the four rhombi with the Migratori (Migrators) that represents birds in flight. Also I Pavoni (The peafowls) by Bottazzi and Rose e farfalle (Roses and butterflies) by Paschetto deserve to be mentioned.  In the past year the Municipal Superintendency has purchased stain glasswindows by the same authors and several drawings and sketches, some of which were preparatory studies for the stain glass windows of the Casina.

HERITY certification:  www.herity.it/Siti/Casina%20delle%20Civette.htm