Detached houses for the wealthy built in the country or on the fringes of towns. The Roman villa was the centre of a country estate. The Italian renaissance villa provided a country retreat for wealthy families to escape from the summer heat of their palaces in the cities. From the 18th century the English-speaking world used the term villa for a house without a large estate attached. This could be the chief residence of a middle-class family or a holiday home for a landed family with a country seat elsewhere.
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- Porto-Colleoni-Thiene The official site gives an illustrated history and virtual tour of this Italian Renaissance villa with frescos and ornate 18th-century stables. Visitor information.
- Villa & Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild Visit the historic home and landscaped gardens of an enlightened collector. History, collections, news, boutique, and opening times. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France.
- Max Gate The Victorian villa which Thomas Hardy designed and built for himself in 1885. History, plan of the gardens, visits seminars and the Thomas Hardy Essay Competition.
- The Roman Villa of Piazza Armerina, Sicily An illustrated room-by-room description by René Seindal of the villa with the richest collection of late Roman mosaics. Includes bibliography, plan and more than 200 photographs.
- Villa Aldobrandini, Rome Paula J. Howarth tells the story of this villa built at the beginning of the 17th century by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, with bibliography.
- Wikipedia: Villa An illustrated definition and description of the various types of building which have been called villas from Roman to modern from the collaborative encyclopedia.
- Wikipedia: Palladian Villas of the Veneto An introduction to this cluster of works by Andrea Palladio and his students which are listed as a World Heritage site. The list of villas includes links to illustrated articles on specific villas.
- Medici Villas in Florence and its Surroundings A photograph and description of each from Your Way to Florence.
- Shaw's Corner The National Trust describes this Edwardian villa in Hertfordshire, the home of George Bernard Shaw 1906-1950. History, photographs, biography of Shaw, news and events.
- Tibursuperbum : Villa d'Este About the villa in Italy designed by Pirro Ligorio, included in the UNESCO world heritage list. History, information and photos. Also contains information on the Villa Adriana.