The magnificent Villa Grock in Italy

Villa Grock is the home of the Swiss circus artist known by the stage name Grock. Mr Grock created and built this incredible structure, as well as all of the symbolic ornaments that surround it. Many of them are reminiscent of jugglers’ instruments, but there are also references to the stars and a plethora of spirals representing the infinite! The Villa as a whole is a piece of art.

There is no style, it is a work of art that is a tribute to the imagination. Actually, according to historian Antonio Vassallo, Mr Grock’s exterior quirkiness correlates to an underlying sadness. And there is a stark contrast between the outside’s awe and the inside’s linear discipline. The Grock’s bust inside is reminiscent of Batman’s Joker, with an ironic countenance concealing an entire world. The human being has two distinct personalities!

A little bit of history

Villa Grock is a little “jewel” in the hills of Imperia that was home to the famed clown Adrien Wettach, called Grock, from 1930 to 1959. The mansion was designed by Armando Brignole, a Genoese engineer, but it was Grock’s powerful imagination that inspired the odd and diverse shapes that make the villa and garden look like a “Stone Circus.”
The original flora of this attractive park, which was also equipped with excellent hydraulic equipment, comprised largely Lebanon cedars, firs, cycas, magnolias, palm trees, olive trees, and a variety of flowers.

Its major attraction is still an exquisite fishpond with an exotic-looking temple in the center connected to the garden by a little bridge. Everything helps to take visitors to a magical world of clowns and fairies.
Grock’s humorous and friendly visage frequently “pops up” from the architecture, surprising the visitor.

When you walk through the imposing main gate, you are immediately enveloped in a magnificent ambiance surrounded by unique and majestic buildings. You can’t help but hold your breath, as if Grock himself would greet his visitors by performing his circus acrobatics one after the other.
Villa Grock was restored to its former splendour after a long period of degradation. The structure has been completely renovated in accordance with the original plan, revealing its polished elegance once more.

Info

Opening hours
Season 2023

Summer hours (until 31st August)
Monday: 9:30am – 12:30pm
Thursday: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm

Guided tours (Monday and Friday) on reservation at: cultura@comune.imperia.it

Winter hours
Monday and Friday 9:30am – 12:30pm
Saturday and Sunday 15am – 6pm

Entrance

Full price: € 6.00
Reduced price: € 4.00
Children (0-5 years): free
Groups (min. 10 pax) and Over 65: € 4.00
Children (6 – 18 years) and University Students: € 4.00
FAI and TCI members: € 4.00
Disabled and accompanying person: free of charge