The rector, his villa on the rock, and the tiles from Jerusalem

Or how the villa got its name
People sometimes ask why we chose the name Villa degli Armeni, which means Villa of the Armenians. What have Armenians got to do with an villa in Italy, or with the quiet village of Poggio Catino?

The Armenian connection

The Armenian connection with Poggio Catino was formed when the Armenian Catholic Seminary in Rome decided to make its summer residence in Poggio Catino, away from the heat of Rome. Over time it became a focal point for the Armenian community in Rome generally, and to this day they hold their annual summer picnic here.
In the late 1960s one of the seminary’s Rectors liked Poggio Catino so much he decided to build a villa there, for himself and his 2 sisters. He hired an architect for the site on a rocky outcrop protruding from the mountainside. The design of the house is unique and incorporates a large rock in the stairway up to the porch. I think the many arches featured in the house may reflect a similar proliferation of arches found in Armenian church design.

The tiles

When we were looking for a name for our villa, Villa degli Armeni seemed a good choice as it reflected the unique history of the house. At that time we were living in Jerusalem, a place with a large Armenian community, and its own Armenian Quarter. Many Armenian families in Jerusalem continue the tradition of ceramic making, and we often passed by the shop of George and Dorin Sandrouni in Jerusalem’s Old City. That’s how we got the idea of installing one of their Armenian tile murals at the villa. It was a tough choice but in the end we settled on the peacock design. I really love how it looks on our porch, and I really hope the original owners of the house would approve!