Musings on all things Rome from Via della Mercede.
The House of the Owls
On the grounds of Villa Torlonia is a unique building, the House of the Owls (Casina delle Civette). It was once a little “Swiss hut” that morphed over time into an architectural fantasy of turrets, balconies, colorful roof tiles, arches, and, in particular, stained glass. Appropriately enough, today it is a museum dedicated to stained glass.
The House of the Owls
A little chapel
Funky architectural elements
Much of the building was built in the Art Nouveau style (referred to as “Liberty Style” in Italy) — one of the few buildings in Rome in that style.
Art Nouveau interior
Beautiful Art Nouveau tiles
More tiles
Art Nouveau wallpaper
And, Art Nouveau floors
One of the entrances, with owls over the door
As the name suggests, there are several stained glass windows depicting owls.
An owl in a window
And, another little owl
Everywhere you look, there’s more beautiful stained glass.
Stained glass making a grape arbor over the windows
Swans
Bird in flight
Roses and butterflies
Peacocks
Irises
Another swan
The sun obliged us that day by shining through the windows, lighting up the many examples of stained glass. After enjoying the House of the Owls, we headed out to another special place in Villa Torlonia.
In the heart of Rome's Historic Center, between the beautiful Spanish Steps and the famous Trevi Fountain, this luxury two bedroom, two bathroom apartment is surrounded by fine dining and fabulous shopping. It is within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and many other historic sites and museums, and near the subway, taxi stands, bus stops, and bike rental. Located in a traditional Roman palazzo, the apartment was fully renovated in late 2010 and is now available for vacation and short-term rental. View all posts by spanishstepsapartment
The Spanish Steps Apartment on Via della Mercede 