The Paolina Villa in Viareggio

The building of the Paolina Villa was ordered in 1822 by Paolina Bonaparte, Napoleone Bonaparte’s favorite sister, to the architect Giovanni Lazzarini.

The villa was built within the northern edges of the town on the coast, on two floors that opens onto the sea.

Particularly interesting is the outside formed by three gardens: a north garden, communicating with the villa, used as an outdoor sitting-room embellished by an English grass, flowers, citrus fruits and vine; a south garden, separated from the villa by means of a public road, equipped with daily elements: a kitchen garden and a vineyard; a natural garden surrounding beach that leaded to the sea.

Copyright © Municipality of Viareggio

The interiors of the Paolina Villa, recently restored, show a particularly French refined taste of the paintings on the walls of every room. Paintings are different in every room: trompe l'oeil, false curtains, stories of the play of Orlando Furioso and Chinese stories.

Today the Paolina Villa hosts the Prehistorical and Archaeological Museum "Alberto Carlo Blanc", the Picture Gallery "Lorenzo Viani" and the Museum of Musical Instruments "Giovanni Ciuffreda".