Villa Wolkonsky can be visited on 25-26 March.

Villa Wolkonsky, the official residence of the British ambassador to Italy, will open its doors to the public for the first time ever as part of the annual Spring Days initiative organised by the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI).

The visit will include the gardens, the aqueduct dating back to Nero and the stately halls of the ambassador's residence on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March, with guided tours available in English at 10.40 and 16.40 on both days.

The "completely unprecedented" visit underlines the "great cultural partnership between Italy and Britain, from Shakespeare to the present day, as it is clear from Italians’ love for London and the British music and Britons' appreciation of the Italian lifestyle", according to the FAI website.

• Italy's secret sites open for FAI Spring Days 2023

The visit will conclude with the Victorian greenhouse, dating from the late 19th century, where the most valuable pieces of the “Wolkonsky” archaeological collection are kept.

Villa Wolkonsky will be among the 750 noted Italian buildings and historic sites opening their doors to the public for the 2023 edition of Giornate FAI di Primavera.

The popular event is held each year by FAI which works to preserve and promote Italy’s cultural heritage and is modelled on Britain's National Trust.

• Villa Wolkonsky Gardens: Et in Arcadia ego

Originally owned by Russian princess Zenaǐde Wolkonsky, who made it her home in the 1830s, the villa passed through various owners over the years, becoming the property of Germany in 1920.

It then became the German embassy and ambassador's residence before being sequestered by the Italian government after the Liberation of Rome in 1944.

Villa Wolkonsky passed into the ownership of the British government in 1951, when the then Princess Elizabeth arrived for the first time on a trip to Italy, a few months before being crowned queen of the United Kingdom.

For full details about the 25-26 March visits to Villa Wolkonsky, located on Via Ludovico di Savoia in the S. Giovanni district of Rome, see the FAI website.