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When visiting Malibu, California, take a break from the beach and the surf to explore nearby Getty Villa. The mansion, styled after a Classical Roman mansion, holds treasures from around the world.
As a Classical Rome enthusiast, discovering that the Getty Villa was located near where I would stay in Malibu thrilled me. My enchantment grew when I drove onto the replica Roman road at the entrance. The Italianate villa overlooking the California coast gives the feeling of living along the Mediterranean coast in ancient Roman times. When visiting Malibu, the Getty Villa is well worth the break from the beach .
Paul Getty created a showcase for his Roman and Greek art to set the perfect mood and completely immerse visitors in the setting. The grounds offer two outdoor peristyles, two gardens, an atrium, and a multitude of columns, sculptures, and marble. More than 20 rooms spanning two floors contain Roman, Greek, and Etruscan art and artifacts.
The Vision of Getty Villa
Getty visited Italy and Greece many times since he was young, which sparked an interest in ancient civilization. When he lived in Rome in 1939, he searched for and purchased classical antiquities. He first collected mainly marble sculptures but then expanded that to bronze and terracotta statuettes, pottery, mosaics, frescoes, glass, and coins.
In 1970, Getty built a home for his treasures resembling Villa dei Papiri on the Bay of Naples. That building was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and excavated in modern times. He also drew aspects from similar homes in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The layout demonstrates the rooms and gardens typical of wealthy Roman residences.
A mosaic with a lion attacking an onager was found in a villa in Hadrumetum. Photo by Judy Karnia
The Herb Garden
I entered through the Herb Garden, past the trellis supporting grape vines, and down the row of well-manicured rectangles of plants and flowers. The Mediterranean species of fruit trees, shrubs, and herbs represented those used in Roman households. A square stone koi pond with a trickling fountain added to the tranquility.
Herb Garden at Getty Villa. Photo by Judy Karnia
The Outer Peristyle
Roman villas contained a Peristyle to provide a place in the fresh air to stroll and converse within the safety of the walls. I walked down the long paths along the rectangular reflecting pool with one-foot-high hedge walls edging flowers of all colors. Replica bronze statues, spaced among the plants, occupied the same location as they had at the Villa dei Papiri. The images of deities, gods, athletes, and animals rested among Mediterranean plants. A drunken satyr at the pool’s far end appeared to be falling away from the villa’s grandeur.
Covered porticos lined the perimeter of the peristyle with regular Corinthian columns on the short ends and Doric columns along the sides. As I ambled along the imitation marble floors and frescoed walls, I imagined men in togas and women in long tunics taking the air.
The path through the Outer Peristyle. Photo by Judy Karnia
The Inner Peristyle
The inner peristyle had a similar form but was smaller and more intimate. It sat in the center of the square main building of the villa, with doors and stairways leading away from the porticos. A narrow pool with three simple fountains cut the center. The young bronze women pondering the water were replicas of the statues found within the inner peristyle of the Villa dei Papiri.
Inner Peristyle. Photo by Judy Karnia
The East Garden
The circular Eight Feline Heads fountain dominated the shady East Garden. Against the wall, a fanciful mosaic fountain with theatrical heads spilled water over small marble steps. This depicts one uncovered in the House of the Large Fountain at Pompeii.
East Garden. Photo by Judy Karnia
The Atrium
Between the inner peristyle and the main door to the villa, the atrium was the public room of the home. An opening in the roof directly above a basin allowed rainwater to be captured and stored in a cistern. As the atrium mainly consisted of doorways to other areas, the décor shone in the black and white patterned floor and the elaborate ceiling.
Atrium of Getty Villa with doors leading to the Inner Peristyle. Photo by Judy Karnia
Hall of Colored Marble
Within the Hall of Colored Marble, twelve types of marble of various colors were inlaid in the floor and walls. The patterns and variety of stones from distant lands demonstrated the wealth of the Romans. Crouching Venus, a marble Roman sculpture from the second century, occupied the center of the room.
Hall of Colored Marble with Crouching Venus marble statue. Photo by Judy Karnia
Temple of Hercules
A small circular room with a domed ceiling reminiscent of the Roman Pantheon showcased the Lansdowne Hercules from around 125AD. The floor, in imitation of one from the Villa dei Papiri, arranged marble from North Africa, Turkey, and Greece in an elaborate interplay of orange, red, and dark grey.
The Basilica at Getty Villa
The basilica served as a place of worship or gatherings for Roman families. Ancient marble sculptures were spaced along the sides between columns, leading the eye to the magnificent designs of the frieze and ceiling. Venus, with a dolphin to symbolize her birth, occupied the space of honor under a half dome of intricate stucco designs. This Roman copy made in the second century emulated the Athenian sculptor Praxiteles’ famous work of 350 BC.
The Basilica of Getty Villa. Photo by Judy Karnia
Art Galleries in the Getty Villa
Rooms on two floors surrounding the inner peristyle displayed more than 1200 Roman, Greek, and Etruscan antiquities. The pieces included statues and busts of deities and prominent people, sarcophagi, and architectural reliefs. How the residents decorated their homes could be seen in the fragments of frescoes and mosaics. Frescoes from the country estate of Numerius Pompidius Florus outside Pompeii graced the walls of one gallery. The collection of delicate glass ampules and many coins showed the advancement of Roman civilization.
Ancient glass antiquities collected by Getty. Photo by Judy Karnia
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Dining Options While Visiting the Getty Villa
Outside the atrium, a spacious portico leads to a large amphitheater. On a terrace overlooking these, tables and chairs provide plenty of room for dining. The Coffee Kiosk offers box lunches and drinks. The Café uses fresh, local ingredients to prepare Mediterranean-inspired options. I enjoyed the Baked Heirloom Tomato with Burrata, made with basil pesto and balsamic reduction. The Café also has indoor dining. Guests are also welcome to bring a picnic lunch.
If you have ever been to Roman ruins and wondered what it would have been like to walk inside the structure in its prime, the Getty Villa provides that experience. Strolling through the gardens created a unique and wonderful feeling of visiting an ancient Roman palace. Antiquities buffs will delight in the architectural structures and art galleries. People of all ages can enjoy the beautiful spaces and pieces and learn about ancient Roman civilization at the Getty Villa.
Let Wander With Wonder be your guide when planning your trip to visit Getty Villa, other venues filled with history , or the greater area of California .
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Getty Villa Brings Ancient Rome to the Heart of Malibu
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