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G is for Getty Villa: A Free to See #AtoZChallenge Post

 

The inner peristyle at the Getty Villa surrounds a formal garden
I'm living in southern California this year, and decided to use my exploration of the area as my focus for the #AtoZChallenge. I'm concentrating on free to see places, though I will include locations that require a parking fee. This is the seventh post in the series. 

I was happy to have an excuse to visit the Getty Villa; a place I had wanted to see for years, but just had never made it to. I visited on the same day I hiked to Escondido Falls. While the Getty Villa was free to visit, reservations were required, and parking was a hefty $25. However, it's more affordable than a trip to Italy, and the Getty Villa Museum describes itself as "Greek and Roman antiquities housed in a recreated Roman country home." 

On the path between the parking garage and the museum's entrance, I passed a sign that explained that the villa was a recreation of Herculaneum. The sign had a quote by J. Paul Getty: "One could say, 'Go to Pompeii and Herculaneum and see Roman villas the way they are now--then go to Malibu and see the way they were in ancient times.' " Herculaneum was an ancient Italian town that, like Pompeii, was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Unlike Pompeii, however, much of Herculaneum was covered in mud. I was instantly transported back to the time I toured Pompeii and Herculaneum, and was excited to see the Getty Villa. 

The sign that explains that the Getty Villa is a recreation of Herculaneum

I had downloaded the Getty app prior to my visit, and was able to access free guided tours via the app. I took the highlights tour and the Roman villa tour. Both deepened my appreciation for the things I was seeing. I would definitely recommend the audio tours. They even have short (25 minutes) audio tours geared toward children. 

One of the impressive items housed in the Getty Villa is a mummy portrait of Isidora. The paint is so vivid and bright; it's hard to believe it was painted around 100 A.D. 

The very lifelike painting of Isidora on a panel of a "red shroud" mummy

Another piece from the highlights tour is a marble figure of a harp player, which is one of the oldest items in the museum, dating from 2700-2300 B.C. I could see a modern artist using a similar design.

A very old (2700-2300 B.C.) marble statue of a harp player

And of course, what museum tour would be complete without seeing a statue of a mythological god? I still don't understand how artists can make a hard material like marble appear lifelike and flowing.

Jupiter (or Zeus) sits on a seat, with a cloth around his hips

While I enjoyed the art pieces, I also enjoyed the gardens and architectural details of the villa. 
A room with heavily marbled walls and floors, and painted ceiling

An ornately tiled fountain in one of the gardens

A beautiful garden (under blue skies) features a long pool of water
If you're yearning for a trip to Mediterranean Europe, you might want to consider a trip to the Getty Villa. It's a lovely step back in time, and with the beautiful setting and ocean view, you might just think you are in Italy!

Comments

  1. messymimiApril 9, 2024 at 6:28 PM

    It looks and sounds fabulous. I was impressed with Pompeii but our tour did not include Herculaneum, so I know I would enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete

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