This delightful villa was built just outside the old walls of Rome in about 1510. Inspired by the ancient Roman idea of the ' villa suburbana', the architect Baldassari Peruzzi created a new type of plan with airy loggias opening on to gardens. Inside the villa, Raphael and others painted the walls and ceilings with scenes from mythology and history, creating a place where Agostino Chigi , the wealthy banker, could emulate the life-style of the ancient Romans.
Producer edward HAYWARD
A BBC/Open University production