This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

Villa della Porta Bozzolo is in Valcuvia, in the hinterland of Lake Maggiore. Its garden is a wonderful example of the Baroque style, developed on four terraces in front of the building.
The latter was built in the early 1500s as a country residence for the Della Porta family: a villa consisting of stables, rustic courtyards, and rural abodes, right inside a large agricultural estate.
Over time, the complex has been enlarged and transformed, while the villa has acquired its current U-shaped layout.

Between the end of the XVII and the early XVIII centuries, Gian Angelo III had the garden rearranged in a more spectacular way and with a rather peculiar layout. In fact, the park of the residence develops from bottom to top, running alongside the lateral facade: this is exactly the opposite of the traditional techniques where the garden has to be perfectly aligned with the main halls of the building. This unusual design was mainly due to the modest size of the area in front of the villa, which would have severely limited the garden layout.

The garden was neglected for a long time and only recently it has been taken care of by the National Trust of Italy (FAI), which has also opened it to the public.

THE GARDEN

The different areas of the garden are perfectly connected. A driveway takes you to the main parterre made of exquisite flower beds. Then, there’s the impressive staircase that runs across terraces on different levels. A large, gently sloping lawn, known as “the theater”, finally leads to a long avenue flanked by cypress trees all the way to the top of the hill.

Four statues depicting the seasons of the year overlook the large gate that tells the main parterre from a minor, secret garden, traversed by an avenue of oaks – aligned with the court of honor and the ground floor lounge.

After being inherited by the Della Porta family (from the Carpanis), then by the Richinis, and finally, by the Bozzolos, the villa was sold to the National Trust of Italy (FAI), which now manages the whole property.

THE VILLA

On the main floor, there are some four-poster beds dating back to the 1700s, the library, which houses over 2.000 books, and a large ballroom with a gigantic fireplace; on the first floor, the wonderful gallery of rococo taste is a must-see for all the visitors.
In the garden, there are also some rustic houses, which are used for temporary exhibitions.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)