Relax with a glass of wine on the verandah overlooking the Villa of the Papyri as the sea glistens in the distance. No need to travel to the Bay of Naples for the experience. The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Calif., gives visitors an opportunity to experience a Roman villa without ever leaving Los Angeles.
Part of the J. Paul Getty Museum, the villa was inspired by archeological finds at both Herculaneum and nearby Pompeii, and much of the villa floor plan is from the Villa of the Papyri, thought to be the Herculaneum country home of Julius Cesar’s father-in-law. Herculaneum was a thriving Roman community until a volcanic eruption from Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city in AD 79.
Visitors can explore the villa and its gardens on their own; use a multi-media, visual and audio guide; or take docent-led tours.
The Getty Villa Architecture tour offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Roman elite. Mosaic floors, statuesque columns, and paintings on plaster walls – patterned after those found in Pompeii and Herculaneum — abound.
The architecture tour also gives visitors some background on the Getty Villa benefactor, J. Paul Getty. Getty, made wealthy from Oklahoma oil leases, began collecting antiquities in the 1930’s and opened his Malibu home to visitors in the 1950’s. In the 1970’s Getty conceived the notion of building a replica of a Roman villa at the site, though he died before the villa’s completion.
The Getty Villa Garden tour takes guests through four gardens and begins with the humble herb garden. Papyrus grows in small fountain ponds and a looming Italian Stone pine (the source of pine nuts) anchors the garden. Docents give visitors a wealth of information on the Romans’ medicinal and culinary uses of the plants making this garden the most interesting. Exquisite reproductions of statues grace the more formal Inner and Outer Peristyle gardens providing insights into the Roman aesthetic. And a gorgeous mosaic showcases the small, serene East garden.
Both the architecture and garden tours are offered hourly from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., last about 40 minutes and are free.
Villa architecture and gardens would be enough, but the Getty Villa has even more to offer. The second floor of the Villa houses an impressive collection of Roman, Greek and Etruscan antiquities. The Getty Museum Collection is so vast, only a small fraction is on public display at any given time. The museum’s signature piece, Statue of a Victorious Youth, is one of only a few remaining Greek bronze statues. Recovered by a fishing boat in 1964, the statue was the subject of a dispute between the Getty Museum and Italian government.
Don’t Miss
While the menu is limited, the Café at the Getty Villa is the perfect spot for lunch, glass of wine, or dessert and coffee. Recommend the Roman burger with its unique combination of favors from Gouda cheese, forest mushrooms and garlic spinach. Save room for the Villa’s famous Mrs. Garrett’s carrot cake.
Details
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Admission to the Getty Villa is FREE but visitors must have an advance, timed-entry ticket. Tickets can be obtained on line by clicking here or by calling the Getty Villa at (310) 440-7300. The Getty Villa is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, and is closed on Tuesday.
Though admission is free, there is a $15 charge to park. Entry to the grounds is strictly restricted to a single entrance assessable via Pacific Coast Highway northbound lane only.
For more information, check out the Getty Museum web site at www.getty.edu .
To see more photos from the Getty Villa click here.