The Villa Sacchetti, also called Castello Chigi, is a historical building at Castelfusano, near Ostia Antica, Rome, Italy. It was built in 1624-1629 for the Sacchetti family, close associates of Pope Urban VIII, and was the first architectural work of Pietro da Cortona.Zirpolo Lilian H. "The Villa Sacchetti at Castelfusano: Pietro da Cortona's earliest architectural commission", Architectura 26, 1996, pp. 166-184 The villa is now known as Castello Chigi since its acquisition by the Chigi family in the 18th century.
Description The villa has a generally fortified appearance; it is block-like with corner bastions and has a belvedere terrace at the top; there were occasional attacks by pirates along the coast.Merz J.M., Pietro da Cortona and Roman Baroque Architecture, 2008, p 11 The plan layout, recorded in drawings by Pier Leone Ghezzi (circa 1735),Published in Merz, 2008, 11 is simple and straightforward and lacks the formal inventiveness of Cortona's later architectural work, including the Villa Pigneto del Marchese Sacchetti.
The ground level has a central hall with staircase and was otherwise given over to service rooms. On the third level, there is a gallery spanning the length of the building with frescoes by Cortona and other artists of the time including Andrea Sacchi.See Zirpolo, Lilian H. "Images of Privilege and Power in Pietro da Cortona's Frescoes at The Villa Sacchetti at Castefusano", Gazette des Beaux-Arts 137, 2001, 115-138 or for a summary, Zirpolo Lilian H. Ave Papa Ave Papabile, the Sachetti Family, their art patronage and political aspirations, 2005, 79-85 There is also a chapel decorated by Cortona.Zirpolo, 2005, 85-92
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