The final part of our visit to Villa Torlonia was to a beautiful little gem. The Serra and Torre Moresca (Moorish greenhouse and tower), is a 19th century fantasy masterpiece in iron work by architect Giuseppe Jappelli (who also designed the House of the Owls), inspired by the Alhambra in Grenada, Spain.

We had read over the last few years that the greenhouse has been restored after many decades of neglect; it had also been damaged during WWII and the immediate period afterwards, since the property was associated with the disgraced Mussolini. Photos of the sorry state of the greenhouse and its amazing restoration are online.

Today, it’s regained all its colorful beauty. As you can see from the photo at the top of this post, you reach the greenhouse down a little path that is bordered by plants.

It’s an attractive and unusual looking building from the outside, but the inside dazzles.

Of course, the most beautiful part of the building is the color of the stained glass when the sun shines through it.

We were lucky that on the day we visited, we were permitted to climb the tower.

Our visit was coming to an end. We climbed down from the tower and exited the greenhouse, and from below we could gaze up toward the tower, to the sound of the tinkling of water in little ponds.

A lovely ending, to a lovely day in the Eternal City.