Description of the attraction
Villa Grock, also known as Villa Bianca, is one of the most interesting sights of the Ligurian city of Imperia. It is located in the Oneglia quarter and bears the name of the famous Swiss clown Grock, who owned it in the first half of the 20th century. Grock (née Charles Adrien Wettach) was an outstanding artist - juggler, gymnast, acrobat and a capable musician who played 14 musical instruments. He has mesmerized audiences all over the world, turning his stage name into a legend. At the Olympics in Paris in 1919, he was awarded the title of "King of Clowns". In 1920, Grock visited the Empire for the first time and was so captivated by the local landscapes that he decided to settle here. He bought the imposing Villa Bianca, where he lived until his death in 1959.
Villa Grock still dominates the Oneglia quarter. The building and the surrounding garden bear traces of the influence of its versatile owner. Three-storey villa with a total area of 2 thousand sq. M. consists of 47 rooms, in which Grok's many friends often stayed. It has four separate entrances, providing freedom of movement and privacy for everyone. The ground floor of the villa features huge windows, frescoed loggias, coffered ceilings and elegant oriental-style carpets, while the second and third floors housed bedrooms. In 2002, the Imperia provincial administration bought Villa Grock and carried out a thorough restoration of the building, preserving its original appearance. In 2010, the villa was opened to the public for the first time. In the near future, the opening of the Grock Museum dedicated to the life of a clown is planned at the villa.
The garden surrounding the villa deserves special attention - it is beautiful and somewhat mystical. It was also renovated in 2006. The vegetation of the garden and the sculptural compositions that decorate it recreate the atmosphere created by Adrien Wettach himself, who was a passionate lover of flowers. Today, you can see spacious gazebos with pot-bellied columns, a huge fountain, false arches, unique decorative elements and even a lake in an oriental-style bridge - all this creates a feeling of a fairy tale and magic. Cedars, firmians and cypresses are planted along the gravel alleys, and part of the park is designed as a typical Italian garden with a large portico.
