Former stately homes are now also open to the public. Italy, with its infinite beauties, is also rich in splendid historical villas. There are many throughout the Peninsula, some of which are very famous and absolutely worth a trip.
The Royal Villa of Monza
Among the most famous historic villas in Italy is the Villa Reale of Monza, on the outskirts of Milan. A huge neoclassical-style building, inside which there are 740 rooms and which occupies only a small part of the immense park that surrounds it.
The construction of the villa was commissioned by the Empress of Austria Maria Theresa of Habsburg as a summer residence of the court who commissioned the work to the imperial architect Giuseppe Piermarini, inspired by Schönbrunn Palace that (from Sissi) and the Royal Palace of Caserta. But it was Napoleon Bonaparte, successor to the Habsburgs, who wanted it so big: 700 hectares, more than double the size of the Palace of Versailles. Today as then, the Royal Park is the true green lung of Milan and Brianza.
Villa d'Este in Tivoli
Inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list, Villa d'Este in Tivoli is undoubtedly a spectacular residence that is really worth visiting. A masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, it was built in the mid-16th century by Ippolito d'Este, son of Lucrezia Borgia. From the elegant entrance façade there is access to a wide staircase that leads to three floors, where several luxuriously decorated apartments and rooms are located. The fame of the town is linked above all to its incredible garden, in the Mannerist and Baroque style, considered one of the most beautiful in Europe.
Going down the monumental staircase on the rear façade of the residence you reach the main avenue entirely covered in mosaics, bordered by the Grand Lodge, from where you can enjoy a stunning view of the entire garden complex, divided into a series of terraces. enriched by numerous fountains that produce surprising water games. Among the most notable points of the park are the Cypress roundabout and Diana's cave, completely enamelled and stuccoed.
The Stupinigi hunting pavilion
Built for the Savoy family for their festivals and hunting trips in the mid-1700th century, this villa on the outskirts of Turin is part of the circuit of Savoy residences in Piedmont, which, in XNUMX, was proclaimed a world heritage site by UNESCO. Among XNUMXth-century European complexes, the Palazzina di Caccia Stupinigi is among the most spectacular. It was reopened to the public after major restoration work and today is a true museum with its original furniture, paintings and cabinet-making masterpieces.
The visit begins at the 18th century Scuderia Juvarriana. Through the library and the anti-library you reach the central hall, the heart of the Palazzina, an elliptical hall located at the intersection of the Sant'Andrea cross (which houses the royal apartments). From here you can access the King's Apartment, the Queen's Apartment, the Antichapel and the Chapel of S. Uberto. Then there is the beautiful park, a garden designed following the model of French gardens that little by little lost its geometry in the 19th century, to transform into a landscape park based on the introspective English style.
Villa Adriana in Tivoli
Also included in the extensive list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Hadrian's Villa has always been one of the favorite destinations for tourists. Made between 118 and 138 AD. By order of Emperor Hadrian, it represents a truly unique monumental site, containing splendid gardens, spas, spectacular buildings and nymphaeums.
A new element has recently been added to the reasons to visit the splendid town of Tivoli. In fact, the splendid Serapeum is now open to the public. It is a structure of great historical value, which reproduces an ancient temple built in the Egyptian city of Canopus, dedicated to the Egyptian deity, Serapis.
Vila Litta en Lainate
Not far from the historic center of Milan lies an authentic Lombard masterpiece with fairy-tale profiles. Its full name is Villa Visconti Borromeo Litta (or more simply Villa Litta) and, in fact, it is an oasis of nature and beauty that, in 2016, received the title of "Most Beautiful Park in Italy".
Its creator was Count Pirro I Visconti Borromeo, an art lover who redefined the architecture and decoration of the residential building, designed the garden and also designed the Nymphaeum, which is among the main attractions of the villa. This is the Palazzo delle Acque where it is still possible to admire the work and majestic water features who know how to create an extremely avant-garde scenographic effect. In fact, it is no coincidence that it is considered one of the most fascinating and charming examples of admirable water features in all of Europe.
