1h 30minutes
Italian
Unlimited
Villa or mansion
Suitable for children
Suitable for couples
Pets allowed
Parking available
Barrier-free
Language supports
The entrance fee is 2.50 euros
You must show up 15 minutes before the start of the visit with valid identification
Visits last about an hour and a half
Visitor groups enter every 30 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last entry 3 p.m.)
The entrance is at 26 Ferdinando Russo St.
Minors must be accompanied by an adult
Animals are not allowed to enter
On the splendid hill of Posillipo, from the Greek Pausylipon, "respite from danger" or "which makes pain cease," we find a splendid monumental complex, a paradisiacal setting sloping down to the sea, the historic Villa Rosebery, the Neapolitan residence of the President of the Italian Republic since 1957.
Passing through Posillipo you cannot fail to visit this wonderful villa, one of the main references of Neoclassicism in Naples.
Within the estate we find the enchanting Bourbon Palace, with numerous reception rooms and a rich display of historical documents and images, the Casina a mare, the Small and Large guesthouse But the real splendor is the park.
Initially it appeared differently, with a certain rigidity due to the presence of cultivated areas, over the years instead replaced by the lush park, characterized by Mediterranean flora, with pine, cypress, laurel, woodland, and myrtle, which blends perfectly with the English garden. This is enhanced by palm trees of various types, succulent plants, enchanting exotic specimens and fragrant flowers.
The villa was built in 1801 at the behest of Austrian Joseph Von Thurn, a naval brigadier in the Bourbon fleet.
Thurn bought and put together some adjoining land holdings by having a small residence built with a private chapel and garden. The rest from the estate was dedicated to agricultural use, with extensive vineyards and orchards.
The property was confiscated in 1806, when Napoleon's troops dismissed the Bourbon from Kingdom of Naples, until 1816, when it was fortunately returned with the restoration of the Bourbon kingdom.
In 1820 Thurn decided to put the villa up for sale, perhaps prompted by the increase in its value, with the construction along Posillipo Hill of a road connecting the Mergellina and Bagnoli, an area that until then could be reached mainly by sea. It was then purchased by Princess Gerace and his son don Augustine Greenhouse by Newfoundland who gave him the name Villa Serra marina and transformed it into the full-fledged residential mansion we know today.
Upon the death of the princess and her son, their heirs sold the mansion to Louis of Bourbon, commander of the Neapolitan navy, who renamed it The Brazilian, in honor of his wife, sister of the emperor of the Brazil. The commander had the villa fenced off and used it for gallant encounters, replacing the agricultural crops with a large park and equipping it with a marina.
Upon Louis de Bourbon's exile to France because of some ambiguous behavior, the villa was put up for sale again and purchased by a wealthy businessman, Gustavo Delahante, who owned it until 1897, when it passed instead into the hands of Count de Rosebery, from which it took the name by which we know it today, Villa Rosebery. Earl Archibald Philip Primrose was a British politician who in those years decided to retire and devote himself full-time to historical-literary studies, taking advantage of the enchanting Neapolitan coast.
He made the mansion a private place closed off from worldliness, where he could enjoy the tranquility of the place. He then returned to politics, rarely attended it, and because of its expensive maintenance, he decided to dispose of it, agreeing with the British government for a donation.
British ambassadors also used it occasionally as a vacation spot and decided in 1932 to cede it free of charge to the Italian state, with the transfer of ownership signed by Benito Mussolini. It was made available to the royal family for summer vacations, and in 1934, when Prince Umberto's eldest daughter was born, it was dubbed Villa Maria Pia.
In 1944, appointed lieutenant of the Kingdom, Victor Emmanuel III moved into the villa with his consort Elena until 1946, when the Neapolitan notary Nicola Angrisano drew up the deed that sanctioned his abdication.
Recovered again by the Italian state, it was granted to the Air Force Academy in 1949 and remained empty for a few years until the 1957 law made it immovable in the endowment of the President of the Republic, reviving it.
