Villa Mondragone
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Villa Mondragone is a patrician villa originally in the territory of the Italian commune of Frascati (Lazio), now in the territory of Monte Porzio Catone (Alban Hills), on a hill 416 m above sea-level lies in the area of the villas by the ancient town of Tusculum in the area called Castelli Romani about 20 Km south east of Rome.
It was built from 1573 by Cardinal Marco Sitico Altemps, who commissioned the design to Martino Longhi the Elder.
Under the villa there are remains of a Roman villa of the Quintili family, who were Roman Consuls.
Pope Gregory XIII, whose heraldic dragon led to call the villa "Mondragone", used regularly the villa as summer residence, guest of Cardinal Altemps: here, in 1581, he promulgated the document (the papal bull "Inter gravissimas") which issued the reform of the calendar now in use and known as Gregorian calendar.
It was in its maximum splendour during the epoc of the Borghese family.
Other Popes who passed long periods in villa Mondragone include Clement VIII and Paul V. Starting from 1626, Pope Urban VIII decided to leave villa Mondragone in favour of the Papal residence of Castelgandolfo.
In 1858 George Sand was guest in the villa, and found there a suitable atmosphere for setting of her novel La Daniella. In 1896 the Jesuits turned it into a college for young aristocrats.
During the Second World War the college gave shelter to evacuated people: the institution was closed in 1953. In 1981 it was sold by the Order of the Jesuits to the University. Villa Mondragone is today a peripherical seat of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.
Official website: www.villamondragone.it
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