Villa Carafa di Roccella in Posillipo between the 17th and 18th Centuries

As of today, there is not a complete study on the villas in Naples between the 16th and 17th centuries. The demolition or the big transformations of buildings incorporated in the new town have, until now, discouraged the scholars from this systematic investigation that could perhaps bring new insights on the theme of the villa in Italy. The study of architectural history of Villa Carafa in the 17th century can maybe help move forward in this direction. This paper retraces the architectural history of Villa Carafa between the 17th and 18th centuries, before the opening of the new via Posillipo in the 19th century, when the villa was then distanced from the hill and was forced to change its orientation, urging for a new re-configuration. With the help of new archival documents, the essay investigates the origins back to when the property belonged to the Hierosolymite Order in the early seventeenth century and focuses on the architectural works promoted by Carlo Carafa, after his brother purchased it in 1629. It was then that it became the magnificent villa overlooking the sea eulogised in the 17th century books and repeatedly depicted by landscape artists during the 18th century.