Villa Donn'Anna

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Villa Donn'Anna in Naples.
Villa Donn'Anna in Naples.

Villa Donn'Anna is an historic residence in Naples, Italy. It sits prominently at water's edge at the beginning of the Posillipo coast, just west of the Mergellina boat harbor. The building is on the site of the so-called "Rocks of the Siren" and, indeed, was originally called La Villa Sirena. The original building on the site was probably built by one Dragonetto Bonifacio in the early 1400s. It changed hands a number of times and finally was inherited in 1630 by the woman whose name it now bears, Anna Stigilano. She had the building redone by the great architect, Cosimo Fanzago, in the 1640s.

In the lore of the city of Naples, the villa is said to have been the site of various murders, sex orgies, and other sordid episodes, at least some of which involved queen Giovanna I (1326-1382), daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, and/or Giovanna II (1373-1435), sister of King Ladislao.