Villa Pallavicini

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Between 1840 and 1846, marquis Ignazio Alessandro Pallavicini built a vast romantic park in Genoa Pegli. He sought the help of Michele Canzio, the scenographer of Genoa’s Regio Teatro Carlo Felice. Being both extremely fond of esoteric and freemason philosophy, the park was designed as a huge theatrical show with different acts and scenes. The main “plot” would walk visitors through an “esoteric evolution journey”, just to get lost into lush vegetation and eventually rediscover its uncontaminated sheer beauty. Then again, the audience would travel back to medieval times, and contemplate death by reaching the very depths of hell where to purify their souls. Finally, paradise would open its doors in a most spectacular setting rich with lush vegetation and neo-gothic, neo-classical, rural, and exotic architecture.

After some 170 years, today it’s still possible to attend such a wondrous show, this time with a local guide. Esoteric atmospheres, spectacular vegetation, and thinly concealed symbolic decorations await anyone who’d like to go back to Mother Nature – a most contemporary desire.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)