Villa Donn'Anna

Villa Donn'Anna is a historic residence in Naples, Italy. It sits prominently at water's edge at the beginning of the Posillipo coast, just west of the Mergellina boat harbor. The building is on the site of the so-called "Rocks of the Siren" and, indeed, was originally called La Villa Sirena.

Villa Donn'Anna in Naples.

History

The original building on the site was probably built by one Dragonetto Bonifacio in the early 15th century. It changed hands a number of times and finally was inherited in 1630 by the woman whose name it now bears, Anna Carafa, duchess of Stigliano and wife of Ramiro Núñez de Guzmán, the Spanish Viceroy of Naples. She had the building redone by architect Cosimo Fanzago in the 1640s.[1] The palace was purchased from the heirs of Anna Carafa by Teora Mirelli.[2]

In the lore of the city of Naples, the villa is said to have been the site of various murders and other sordid episodes, at least some of which involved queen Joan I of Naples (1326–1382), daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, and/or Joan II (1373–1435).[1] By the 19th century, the structure was already markedly dilapidated, as it remains to this day.[3] Part of the building is currently used as a residence for Napoli football player Dries Mertens.

References
  1. Legler, Rolf (1990). Der Golf von Neapel (in German). Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag. ISBN 3-7701-2254-2.
  2. Notizie del bello dell'antico e del curioso della città di Napoli, Volume 5; by Carlo Cerano; Curated by Giovanni Battista Chiarini; Stamperia di Agostino di Pascale, Naples (1860); page 638.
  3. Also Celano, page 639, in 1860 mentions similar rumors.

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