Historical landmarkMonte Porzio Catone · IT
Villa TAVERNA PARISI-BORGHESE
On a green ridge of the Alban Hills above Frascati, Villa Parisi—born Villa Taverna, later Villa Borghese—ranks among the twelve grand pleasure estates the papal nobility carved into the Castelli Romani around 1600. Set within a park of centuries-old oaks and box hedges, the villa hides frescoed state apartments, a theatrical grotto fountain, and a film-set mystique that has drawn horror directors and fashion campaigns alike to its rooms. What makes a visit worthwhile is the sense of layered history you get walking through it: a Roman villa once stood on this ground, Cardinal Taverna built the core, Scipione Borghese expanded it, Paolina Bonaparte summered here, and the Parisi family still owns it today. It is best seen on a guided tour, which opens doors that otherwise stay private.