Ariccia

Ariccia is one of the towns in the Castelli Romani to the southeast of Rome that Wilson favored for his sketching expeditions, along with Genzano and Nemi. This striking view is taken from the valley below and to the north of the town, looking up at Palazzo Chigi on the left and Bernini’s remarkable domed church of S. Maria Assunta on the right, which would have naturally appealed to Wilson since its dome was inspired by Bernini’s own restoration of the Pantheon in Rome. Travelers from Rome to Ariccia had to pass along the bottom of the valley, but this view, which later became a favorite for British and French artists, appears not to have been taken until Wilson did so.