A Sunny February Day Exploring a Classical Villa

We spent a day in late February 2013 exploring what felt like an ancient Roman villa transplanted to a sunny hillside. We arrived to find bright blue skies. The initial courtyards were lined with white columns and bronze statues, setting a specific tone right from the start.

The main feature of the grounds was a long, brilliant blue reflecting pool in the center of a formal garden. The entire space was meticulously designed, with manicured hedges, palm trees, and pathways that led you around the water and through covered pergolas. The scale of it was impressive, with the grand building overlooking the entire scene.

We spent most of our time just walking through the gardens, stopping to look at the different statues positioned in and around the pools. For February, the weather was perfect. It was quiet and felt very removed from everything.

Inside the museum, the collection continued the theme. We saw Greek and Roman artifacts, like an intricately painted vase housed in a simple glass case. The art inside provided context for the massive architectural project outside, connecting it all together.