Villa Boccaglione
Villa Boccaglione, called the ‘little Versailles of Umbria’, is located in the plains at the foot of the hill of Bettona, in the Passaggio area, and is one of the most important examples of a lowland villa in Umbria; it is of great historical-artistic important but unfortunately it is closed, and visits are rarely allowed.
It can be reached by following a long tree-lined avenue, at the end of which you will find yourself in front of an impressive and imposing three-storey villa, with a small church attached to it, a lemon-house, the remains of farmhouses and an area once occupied by stables and a large garden. At the rear of the villa, there is a horseshoe-shaped park, which ends in a grove with a small outdoor theatre.
According to some scholars, the architect Piermarini was commissioned by the Crispolti from Bettona to build the villa in the 18th century, after which it was sold first to the Penna from Perugia, then to the Bianconi, the Fedeli and the Iraci-Mandolini Borgia. Since 1987 it has been owned by the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities).
The villa, built upon an existing building, is oddly eclectic in style, blending neoclassical features with baroque elements; it is richly decorated with frescoes both outside and in the numerous interior rooms.