{"id":1185,"date":"2025-06-10T09:02:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T09:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voltealte.com\/heritage\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T16:10:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:10:34","slug":"heritage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/voltealte.com\/en\/heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Heritage - The history<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The history of Villa Chigi Farnese\na Renaissance legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Villa Chigi delle Volte Alte, also known as Villa Chigi-Farnese<\/strong> or Villa Mieli<\/strong>, stands on a hill west of Costalpino, on the border between the municipalities of Siena and Sovicille, along the historic road leading to the Montagnola Senese. It is considered one of the finest examples of Tuscan Renaissance architecture<\/strong> and an important prototype of the villa with projecting wings<\/strong> \u2014 a model that anticipates the more famous Villa Farnesina<\/strong> in Rome.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Origins and Patronage<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Construction of the villa began around 1492, commissioned by Mariano Chigi, founder of the noble Sienese family\u2019s fortunes, with the intent to celebrate the prestige and prosperity of his lineage. The work was completed in 1505, as recorded in the inscription engraved on the fa\u00e7ade:<\/p>

\u201cSigismundus Chisius hoc curarum refugium extruxit anno Domini MDV\u201d<\/blockquote>
(\u201cSigismondo Chigi erected this refuge from worldly cares in the year of Our Lord 1505.\u201d)<\/blockquote>

After Mariano\u2019s death in 1504, the project was completed by his son Sigismondo Chigi, who commissioned the design from architect Baldassarre Peruzzi (1481\u20131536)<\/b><\/span>, pupil and successor of Francesco di Giorgio Martini<\/b><\/span>. The classical style and harmonious proportions blend perfectly with the surrounding landscape, reflecting the Renaissance ideal of balance between architecture and nature.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1505\u20131512<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Architecture and Decoration<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The villa has a horseshoe-shaped plan, with two projecting wings enclosing a two-story porticoed courtyard and a low wall that originally closed off a garden court. The main fa\u00e7ade, facing southwest toward Mount Amiata and the Maremma, is characterized by three tiers of windows framed in pietra serena and by a long stone bench running along its entire perimeter \u2014 a distinctive feature of Peruzzi\u2019s residential designs.<\/p>

Originally, the villa\u2019s exterior was adorned with frescoes and painted decorations, as reported by Fabio Chigi (the future Pope Alexander VII)<\/b><\/span> in his Commentarii<\/i> (1625). These paintings, however, deteriorated over time and were never restored.<\/p>

The interiors, now mostly bare, still preserve traces of magnificent vaulted ceilings frescoed in the second decade of the 16th century with grotesques, stuccoes, and medallions inspired by Roman art and the rediscovery of Nero\u2019s Domus Aurea<\/i>. These decorations, attributed to painters from Peruzzi\u2019s circle (perhaps Giorgio di Giovanni<\/b><\/span> or Antonio da Caravaggio<\/b><\/span>), celebrate the grandeur of the Chigi family and their close ties to the papacy.<\/p>

Two inscriptions mark key moments in the villa\u2019s history: the first, dated 1505, commemorates the completion of construction; the second recalls Pope Julius II\u2019s visit<\/b><\/span> in 1510\u20131511, which sealed the alliance between the Chigi and Della Rovere families \u2014 symbolized by the right to combine their coats of arms.<\/p>

Among the most remarkable features are two decorative wells \u2014 one of travertine and tufa with a coffered painted vault, the other adorned with sculpted cherubs supporting the Chigi-Della Rovere emblem \u2014 and the original garden, designed with asymmetrical layouts, winding paths, and sudden scenic viewpoints.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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1510\u20131520<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Ownership and Transformations<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The original complex included the villa, the Church of San Bartolomeo, a fishpond with nymphaeum and theater, a farmhouse, and stables.<\/p>

In 1603, Agostino Chigi<\/b><\/span>, rector of the Spedale di Santa Maria della Scala<\/i>, purchased the villa and oversaw its restoration and modernization while respecting its original structure. He had the fa\u00e7ades plastered, enriched the library and gardens, and added his coat of arms and that of his wife, Olimpia Piccolomini Carli<\/b><\/span>, to the stone bench.<\/p>

Upon his death in 1639 without direct heirs, the villa passed to his namesake relative, Agostino Chigi, nephew of Pope Alexander VII. In 1658, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Virginia Borghese<\/b><\/span>, the Pope granted him the fiefdom of Farnese, from which the villa later took the name Villa Chigi-Farnese<\/i>.<\/p>

During the 19th century, the building underwent further renovations that partially altered the interior layout conceived by Peruzzi, though the original plan remained largely intact.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1579\u20131714<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Church of San Bartolomeo<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Next to the villa stands the Church of San Bartolomeo alle Volte<\/b><\/span>, founded by Sigismondo Chigi in the early 16th century on the site of a ruined parish church. The single-nave interior preserves a relief altar frontal inspired by Giuseppe Mazzuoli<\/b><\/span> and paintings attributed to Francesco Nasini<\/b><\/span>, depicting saints canonized by Pope Alexander VII. The main altar, of classical style, originally housed a Madonna and Child with Saints<\/i> by Sodoma<\/b><\/span>, now kept at the Galleria Sabauda<\/i> in Turin.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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XVI century<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The Villa from the 17th to the 20th Century<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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During the 17th century, the villa was frequently mentioned in the diaries of Pope Alexander VII Chigi<\/b><\/span>, who, despite residing in Rome, maintained a strong connection with his homeland and promoted the restoration and embellishment of family estates in the Sienese countryside. Villa delle Volte, together with the nearby Villa Cetinale<\/b><\/span> and other Chigi residences, became a symbol of continuity between city and countryside, culture and landscape.<\/p>

In the 20th century, the property passed to the Italian State<\/b><\/span> and, for a time, was granted in usufruct to the University of Siena<\/b><\/span>. It subsequently fell into a long period of neglect. After the 2018 storm, which caused structural damage, the villa was entrusted in 2023 to Ga.vi srl<\/b><\/span>, a company specializing in boutique hospitality, with the goal of restoring and repurposing the complex for artistic and cultural activities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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XVII - XX century<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Legacy and Enhancement<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Villa delle Volte Alte remains one of the most significant testimonies of the Sienese Renaissance \u2014 a perfect example of the harmony between architecture, landscape, and family history. Its value lies not only in its artistic and architectural quality but also in its deep connection to the Chigi family<\/b><\/span>, key figures in the political and cultural life of Siena and Rome between the 15th and 17th centuries.<\/p>

Today, the villa is the subject of restoration and enhancement projects promoted by organizations including the FAI (Italian National Trust)<\/b><\/span>, which recognizes its crucial role in preserving the historical memory of the region.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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XXI century<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Heritage – The history The history of Villa Chigi Farnese a Renaissance legacy Villa Chigi delle Volte Alte, also known as Villa Chigi-Farnese or Villa Mieli, stands on a hill […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1185","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHeritage 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