Villa Beatrice was constructed in the traditional Mediterranean style: thick stone walls and red terra cotta tiled roof. It was designed, built and furnished by a career diplomat whose various posts and extensive travels enabled him to gather a delightfully eclectic collection of statues, tapestries, rugs, furniture and ornamentals. The paintings are largely European, with a well-rounded collection of Mediterranean gouaches forming the nucleus. Many are of the mountain Vesuvius, destroyer and preserver of Pompeii and Herculeum. The villa combines the beauty of antiquity with modern convenience.