The Simone Cesaretti Foundation is located in the monumental structure of Villa Doria d’Angri, formerly the premises of the Istituto Santa Dorotea and currently a centre of excellence for postgraduate education.
The complex hosts 1st and 2nd level master classes, proficiency courses, meetings of national and international importance, as well as cultural conventions and events.
Commissioned by Marcantonio Doria, Prince d’Angri (1809-1837), Villa Doria d’Angri is the most important neoclassic villa in the Posillipo area of Naples. It was built under the supervision of the architect Bartolomeo Grasso, while the interior decorations were carried out by Guglielmo Bechi, aided by a large number of artists and assistants. After considerable maintenance work and reinforcement, the architect Alberto Francesconi built an octagonal pagoda which testifies to the prince’s taste for Oriental manufacts. After Marcantonio Doria’s death, the property was purchased by an English family. Its amazing position overhanging the Gulf of Naples and the breathtaking view inspired Richard Wagner, who stayed at the villa, to compose Parsifal.
