Casa del jazz - Music in the Park
Rome has a long, long history of palaces, villas and parks shifting hands depending on political and economic currents, ancient remains being incorporated in private estates, public estates suddenly being private and other funny business. It’s important to mention this in order to praise and appreciate the happy ending of Villa Osio, today known as Casa del Jazz, the house of Jazz.
Arturo Osio, one of the founders of the Italian national workers bank (BNL), built Villa Osio in the mid 1900’s on the ruins of a 17th century estate. After his death, in the 1980’s Enrico Nicoletti, a (later to be known) mafia boss of the famed Banda della Magliana bought the estate and made it his private residence until it was confiscated in 2001.
After the confiscation, a petition of over 1 million signatures ensured that the property would remain in public hands, a move that permitted the city council to create the jazz haven romans and visitors love to visit. The villa has a particular charm, being located in a grand park and with different buildings to host concerts, seminars, special classes and registrations. Apart from the many events it hosts on a regular basis the Casa del Jazz is the roman base for one of the main Jazz events in Italy, the Jazzitalia Live.
Viale di Porta Ardeatina, 55
