Getty Villa

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The peristyle of the Getty Villa

The Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, California, USA, is part of the J. Paul Getty Museum. The Getty Villa is an educational center and museum dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria.

The Villa is frequently and erroneously said to be in Malibu, but it is actually in the city of Los Angeles in the wealthy community of Pacific Palisades. In fact, the Malibu city border does not begin for another mile west of the Villa. The museum itself perpetuates this error to the consternation of Palisades residents who feel that the museum has opted for a more prestigious location.

Oil tycoon J. Paul Getty originally opened a gallery adjacent to his home in Pacific Palisades, finding that he quickly ran out of room, he decided to open a second museum on the property (his original home still sits at the back of the property). In 1974, Getty opened the Getty Villa as his second museum in a re-creation of the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum, as well as incorporating details from several other ancient sites. In 1997 the main part of the museum moved to its current location in Brentwood to become the Getty Center and the Palisades museum, renamed the "Getty Villa", was closed for renovation.

Reopened on January 28, 2006, the Getty Villa once again holds Greek and Roman sculptures housed in the interim at the Getty Center. The Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities are arranged by themes including Gods and Goddesses, Dionysos and the Theater and Stories of the Trojan War, housed within Roman-inspired architecture and surrounded by Roman-style gardens. The new architectural plan surrounding the Villa is designed to simulate an archaeological dig.

There is controversy surrounding the Greek and Italian governments' claim that 52 objects in the collection were looted and should be repatriated. [1]

1 Location and admission
2 GettyGuide
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Location and admission

The museum is located at:

17895 Pacific Coast Highway

Pacific Palisades, CA USA

Admission to the Getty Villa is free but timed tickets must be obtained in advance. You can obtain these tickets (if available) by calling or visiting the Getty website. There is an $8.00 charge for parking (as of February 4, 2007). The museum is open Thursday to Monday, 10am – 5pm. It is closed Tuesday, Wednesday and on January 1, July 4, Armed Forces Day, Thanksgiving and December 25.

It can be difficult to get tickets due to the fact that only a limited number of visitors are allowed in each day, and demand is very high. Advance reservations are normally required.

[edit] GettyGuide

Detailed information about the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection at the Getty Villa is provided on GettyGuide, a suite of interactive multimedia tools available at the Museum, as well as on www.getty.edu. At the GettyGuide stations in the Museum, visitors can get information about exhibitions, play with an interactive timeline, watch videos on art-making techniques, and more. Also available at the Museum, the GettyGuide audio player features commentary from curators and conservators on over 300 works of art. With GettyGuide on the Web, one may browse the Museum’s collections[2] and bookmark works of art to create a customized tour and printable map[3]. More information about GettyGuide can be found on getty.edu.[4]

Inner peristyle.jpg

The inner peristyle.

Pool at Getty Villa.JPG

The inner peristyle, viewed from above.

Lansdowne Herakles.JPG

The Lansdowne Herakles, part of the museum's collection.

Victorious Youth.jpg

Victorious Youth, part of the museum's collection.