Getty Villa, April 13

   Today we spent the entire day at Getty Villa, recommended to us by Scott A. It is free, but you have to get timed tickets on line and pay $15.00 to park.

Entrance to Getty Villa

    What an amazing day. The setting for the Villa is idyllic, overlooking the Pacific just south of Malibu. Getty got his idea from the House of the Papiri, a luxurious villa uncovered at Herculaneum.
The collection focuses on Etruscan, Greek and Roman antiquities. This is a day where photos are worth more than words.

Inside the atrium. In true Roman villas, the 2nd floor would have been windowless and used storage and/or where the servants lived.

Achilles and those who idolized him

Roman bust of an African boy

Outside the museum looking down at the amphitheater

Small bronze of Athena

Large statue of an athlete. This was found in the Adriatic in 1965 completely encased with coral and barnacles. They were not sure they would be able to save it, but they did after months of working on it with small scalpels.

Basilica

A ceiling with little birds

Peristyle (inner courtyard)

Mark in the East Garden

Mosaic fountain in the East Garden

Huge statue of Heracles with lion skin. This was one of Getty's favorite acquisitions.

Herb Garden with Grape Arbor

Mark outside the museum

Mark with the Pacific in the background

Portion of mosaic found in Antioch

Peristyle. Water has been turned off due to the drought.

Mark sitting in the sun in the Peristyle

Roman Woman, probably Flavius's  wife

We loved this statue; it looks so modern, but is one of the oldest pieces. It was found in the Aegean Cyclades Islands. All women with folded arms. The statues cannot stand on their own.