June 24, 2013

The Getty Villa


The Getty Villa is home to a lot of really old, precious things. This museum showcases classic Greek, Roman and Etruscan art collected by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, and it will wow you with an impressive amount of ancient statues, vessels and antiquitiesif that's your bag, baby.

Aside from the artwork, the thing that makes this museum super special is location. Perched up high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the building and gardens are a work of art in itself.


The architecture for the building was inspired by the Villa of Papyri, a Roman country home that was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The original building remains unexcavated and preserved underground. At the Getty Villa, you have the chance to experience what it might have felt like to live on these ancient grounds.


Visiting a replica sounds kinda lame, but let me assure you, this place is cool. Walking through the compoundespecially the inner and outer peristyle with its formally manicured gardenswas a real joy. Even a forecast of June Gloom could not dampen my visit to this place. I think next time I'll come late on a winter's day to watch the sunset. Surrounded by this beauty, I am sure it's nothing short of spectacular. 

The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway | Pacific Palisades, CA | 310.440.7300

3 comments:

Ara said...

You didn't go to the gardens?

Anonymous said...

I am so jealous you did this! It's on my LA bucket list. Your gorgeous photos make me want to go even more! Sneakysnap

Yvonne said...

@Ara: Yes, I visited all the gardens.

@Sneakysnap: You better come visit me if you happen to be in town!