Villa Torlonia: Mussolini's villa and the Casina delle Civette

Updated on October 5, 2026

Villa Torlonia is a large Roman park on the via Nomentana, about twenty minutes' walk from Termini station, where several very different buildings are tucked away: a neoclassical palace, a chalet with Art Nouveau stained glass, a Moorish-style greenhouse and a bunker. The Torlonia princes made it their residence in the 19th century; from 1925 to 1943 Benito Mussolini lived here, renting the villa from the family for a symbolic one lira a year. The park is free; the buildings form the Musei di Villa Torlonia, run by the City of Rome. Allow two to three hours for the park and the two main museums.

Highlights

The Casino Nobile

The main palace was remodelled from 1806 by the architect Giuseppe Valadier for the Torlonia family: a neoclassical columned façade, salons decorated with frescoes and stucco, and sculpture collections. Mussolini lived here with his family.

The Casina delle Civette

The "little house of the owls" is the park's most original building. Originally designed as a Swiss-style hut, it was reworked in the early 20th century in an eclectic style, with pointed roofs, ceramics and above all many Art Nouveau stained-glass windows featuring the owl motif. It now houses a museum devoted to these windows.

Mussolini's bunker

Air-raid shelters were built under the villa at the start of the Second World War. They can only be visited on a guided tour, by reservation, on dates and times published on the Musei di Villa Torlonia website.

The Moorish Greenhouse and the Limonaia

Among the park's follies, the Serra Moresca, a small neo-Moorish greenhouse, has reduced opening hours and closes in July and August. The Limonaia, a former lemon house, hosts temporary exhibitions.

The Casino dei Principi

This pavilion, where the family's children lived, shows exhibitions and collections of ceramics and glassware.

Practical info

Tips

The park is free to enter; only the buildings and the bunker require a ticket. A combined ticket exists for the Casina delle Civette and the Casino Nobile; check the prices and any free-entry rules on the official website before you go, as they change. The museums are closed on Mondays, 1 May and 25 December. Look for the owls in the Casina's stained glass: they are almost everywhere. For a themed day, combine the visit with the Coppedè district, a twenty-minute walk away.

How to get there

Main entrance at 70 via Nomentana. From Termini station it is about a 20-minute walk, or take a bus along the via Nomentana (lines 60 or 90). For a wider look at the area, see our guide to the neighbouring San Lorenzo district.

Opening hours

Best: Weekday morning

Park: free access during the day, closing at sunset. Museums (Casino Nobile, Casina delle Civette, Casino dei Principi): Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-19:00; closed on Mondays.