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Villa Grock in Liguria
The Swiss Adrien Wettach is an international artist
At the 1919 Olympics of Paris, he was pronounced and crowned king of the clowns. He was a master in every special circus category. Apart from being a rider, musician and juggler, he also worked as a contortionist.
History of Villa Grock
He performed together with many other famous artists and filled many a circus tent. Apart from his circus work, he held protagonist roles in a variety of films and made many voluntary appearances for soldiers during the war. Villa Grock, also known as Villa Bianca, mirrors the extravagant style of the clown Grock. He commissioned the villa and incorporated his personal and very own ideas. The many diverse rooms of the building provided Grock with the perfect “stage” to perform for his guests. The building itself is also a replica of the mysterious initiation of the artist Adrien Wettach.
The many diverse rooms of the building provided Grock with the perfect “stage” to perform for his guests. The building itself is also a replica of the mysterious initiation of the artist Adrien Wettach.
Das Clown Museum - Villa Grock Address:
Via Fanny Roncati Carli, 18100 Imperia IM, Italy
+39 0183 704211
Entrance fee: Adults 5,50 € - Children 4,00 € - Groups from 10 people 4,00 €/ Person
About opening times you can reand in the official website
Inside Villa Grock, a museum with a variety of rooms has been created. Each room has its own secret that the visitor is welcome to discover.
The film art room
This room serves as an introduction. Here, guests can indulge in specially selected film sequences from comfortable armchairs.
The emotions room
This room contains an electronic wall. Visitors can move magical balloons on the wall with their hands. Various artists and artworks appear underneath them, including Joan Miro, Pierre Bonnard and Pablo Picasso.
The music room
This room features an oval bar that has been divided into several parts. Each part is assigned an instrument. These four are instruments that Grock played himself - clarinet, piano, violin and accordion. If you press the button, a melody is played on the instrument. The various instruments can also be played together. Coloured spheres light up in tune with the sounds that have been coordinated to match the songs.
The chamber of marvels
In the centre of the room is the chamber of marvels. The octahedron shaped structure of the chamber is open at two of its eight corners. An illusionary surface creates an elongated effect. The outside walls offer an insight into the circus world that exists outside of the circus tent. Here, visitors can discover the circus environment. Some clowns’ costumes can also be discovered in little glass boxes.
The theater of symbols
Discover Grock’s mysterious and esoteric personality. With every step, you will be able to see stars with different meanings. The symbols in combination with the art serve as a bridge between the finite and visible universe on the one hand and the infinite and invisible universe on the other.
The magical carousel
The 19th century is at the heart of this hall. The various models from the world of circus and carnival work perfectly and stand out with their precise fabrication that has been perfected to the smallest detail.
The circus room
This room invites visitors to participate. A circular circus trail has been set up here. The guest becomes the protagonist of the show. The sound effects and the light that appear all around the guest allow a total immersion and participation in the circus world. The shadow figures become your colleagues in the ring.
This is only a small teaser for the facilities of the villa. Apart from these interesting rooms, you can discover a great variety of other rooms in the museum, for instance: the room auf laughter, the chamber of magic, the picture room, the magic box chamber, the make-up room, the room chest, and the jester-king room.
In addition to a great number of palm trees, there is a beautiful fountain lake. Many small staircases take the visitor across the entire property. From one terrace to the next.
The stone figures and lamps also bring alive the extravagant way of life of clown Grock. Everything is somehow playful and mysterious at the same time.
A visit to Villa Grock is definitively worth the effort for young and
