Villa Grock, also known as Villa Bianca, was built between 1924 and 1930 as the residence of the well-known Swiss clown Charles Adrien Wettach who, known by his stage name Grock, was considered the “King of the Clowns”.
While the Villa has a strong art deco appearance, it also contains influences from the art of Dalì, Picasso and Gaudì, and features circus references and other esoteric elements that Grock himself commissioned. The garden, like the house, also reflects the artist’s eclectic personality. A mysterious and fairy-tale place, where lush vegetation combines with arches, columns, sculptures and oriental references.
Facing the villa is a small lake, where Grock liked to swim and fish, which features a central island linked to land by an ogive arch. After the death of the artist, the villa was closed for several years until 2006, when the Province of Imperia bought it and in 2010, following restoration work, opened it to the public.
Genova Liguria Film Commission
Villa Durazzo Bombrini — Via L. A. Muratori 5 (ingresso principale) — 16152 Genova Cornigliano
Phone: +39 010 868 0850
Fax: +39 010 868 1399
Email: info@glfc.it
