Baciccio among the others. The Latin inscription in bronze lettering on the façade: “Alexander Albani vir eminentissimus instruxit et ornavit / Alexander Torlonia vir princeps in melius restituit” ("The most eminent Alessandro Albani designed and decorated [this building] / Prince Alessandro Torlonia restored it to better appearance"), tells the story of the house. The Villa has been saved from the destruction of the Umbertine urbanisation, which soon afterwards would wipe out most of the historical villas of the city, thus dispersing the ancient heritage that for three centuries had made Rome the heart of European artistic life. Collection Statues, busts, bas-reliefs, vases, capitals and columns, all carefully selected, decorated the refined interiors, the gardens, the fountains and the various buildings of the villa, which stands as a vast architectural complex of locales and structures (like the Temple of Diana, the Temple of the Caryatids, the coffee-house, the ruined tempietto, the billiards area, etc.), which dialogue with one another with the intention of creating an educational and emotional itinerary, studied down to the last detail, aiming to compete with the villas of Imperial Rome, and leaving its visitors enchanted. Nicolò Alunno, Madonna with Child enthroned and Sts. John the Baptist, Caterina d'Alessandria, Sebastian, Anthony, Benedict, Peter, Paul and Augustine, tempera on wood, 200 x 251 cm. Pietro Perugino, "Polittico Albani Torlonia" with nativity of Christ with Sts. Michael, John the Baptist, Jerome and George, 1491, tempera on wood, 174 x 88 cm. Marco d'Oggiono, Madonna with Child. Taddeo Zuccari, Christ in pietà mourned by angels, oil on wood, 252 x 194 cm. Francesco del Cairo, St. Sebastian cared for by the widow Irene, oil on canvas. Lambert van Noort, La Carità, oil on canvas. Ancient bust of a hunchback thought to depict Aesop References Bibliography Antonio Nibby, Villa Albani, in Itinerario di Roma e delle sue vicinanze, Rome 1844, Vol I p. 266-274. Stefano Morcelli, Carlo Fea, Ennio Quirino Visconti, La Villa Albani descritta, Rome 1869 (catalog of works, third edition) A Museums in Rome Parks in Rome Rome Q. IV Salario