200.

Villa, e Casino Panfili, detta del bel Respiro

This is one of several elevated views reserved primarily for this volume on villas and gardens in which Vasi features the Casino Panphilj from the east. The Pamphilj family, whose main residence was (and still remains) on Via del Corso, Plate 44, acquired the first part of their suburban villa in 1630. In the following years the acquisition of numerous neighboring vigne (farms) enlarged its area considerably, and upon its union with the adjacent Villa Corsini, Plate 199, in the late 19th century, it became the largest of the Roman suburban villas. Except for the part visible in this print, it has been a public park since 1970. Algardi completed the casino and formal garden in the mid 17th century during the papacy of Innocent X Pamphilj (1644-1655). As in the case of the Orti Farnesiani, Plate 197, Vasi points out the different levels of the villa, starting with the lowest (1). From this level, the double stairway leads to the giardino segreto (2) ("secret" garden). This formal garden was "secret" only in the sense that its use was restricted to the family and its guests, and not accessible to the public. The stairs (3) at far left give access to the third level which connects to the pigneto (4) (pine wood) in the background. In the 18th century the extensive formal gardens just visible on the left were transformed into a picturesque English garden. Many trees in the pigneto disappeared in the mid 20th century when the Pamphilj laid out a cricket pitch in that area.