We took a trip to the Getty Villa, yesterday. Although it wasn’t at all what I expected, it was really interesting and educational.
What did I expect? Well, the inner designer/home lover/nester in me expected to see a villa…by that I mean, a home…an elegant, furnished abode that, at some point in time, was home to the Getty family.
Had I taken the time to do some research, I would have learned that the Getty Villa is a museum. It has never been a home. It was built to replicate the Villa dei Papiri which was a country house in Herculaneum…an ancient Roman town. It’s an imaginative rendition with gardens that are much like the gardens in ancient Rome such as the Herb Garden which has herbs and fruit trees that you would find in a Mediterranean climate.
We weren’t allowed to use flash cameras in the rooms but were not restricted outside; that’s why these photos are all outside shots. The picture with the "stairs" is actually of the outdoor theater. The others are of the gardens in and around the Villa.
What did I expect? Well, the inner designer/home lover/nester in me expected to see a villa…by that I mean, a home…an elegant, furnished abode that, at some point in time, was home to the Getty family.
Had I taken the time to do some research, I would have learned that the Getty Villa is a museum. It has never been a home. It was built to replicate the Villa dei Papiri which was a country house in Herculaneum…an ancient Roman town. It’s an imaginative rendition with gardens that are much like the gardens in ancient Rome such as the Herb Garden which has herbs and fruit trees that you would find in a Mediterranean climate.
We weren’t allowed to use flash cameras in the rooms but were not restricted outside; that’s why these photos are all outside shots. The picture with the "stairs" is actually of the outdoor theater. The others are of the gardens in and around the Villa.
Now, if I would have learned more about my camera before heading to the Villa, I would have been able to shut off the flash. I am kicking myself all around the block for being such a “blockhead”. I also neglected to bring fresh batteries. Need I say more?
The rooms are galleries filled with more than 1,000 ancient objects from the region. There are statues of the deities that were worshipped back then including Zeus, Aphrodite, and Poseidon.
Did you know that these gods and goddesses had unique names depending on the culture. For example, Zeus (Greek) and Jupiter (Roman) were one and the same. Aphrodite (Greek) and Venus (Roman) were the same goddess.
The god of wine, Bacchus (Roman) was called Dionysus by the Greeks.
I’m not going to go into all of the excellent exhibits because this would be too long and probably boring…however, it is sort of a “teaser”…if you ever are in Los Angeles, I absolutely recommend a visit to the Getty Villa. The Getty Center which is another of the Getty Museums is also not-to-be missed.
Follow this link for a better look at J. Paul Getty’s wonderful museums.
The rooms are galleries filled with more than 1,000 ancient objects from the region. There are statues of the deities that were worshipped back then including Zeus, Aphrodite, and Poseidon.
Did you know that these gods and goddesses had unique names depending on the culture. For example, Zeus (Greek) and Jupiter (Roman) were one and the same. Aphrodite (Greek) and Venus (Roman) were the same goddess.
The god of wine, Bacchus (Roman) was called Dionysus by the Greeks.
I’m not going to go into all of the excellent exhibits because this would be too long and probably boring…however, it is sort of a “teaser”…if you ever are in Los Angeles, I absolutely recommend a visit to the Getty Villa. The Getty Center which is another of the Getty Museums is also not-to-be missed.
Follow this link for a better look at J. Paul Getty’s wonderful museums.
1 comments:
Love the photos, it's a breath of fresh air to see such a nice blog.
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