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Villa Brignole Sale – Duchessa di Galliera was named after the noblewoman who paid for renovating and remodelling this extremely charming place. The whole state covers about 62 acres of the Castellana hill and is a priceless nature reserve on the western Riviera (“Riviera di Ponente”).

The villa was actually built in two different moments: first, it was the Mandillo family to build the oldest part known as “Paraxo”. Dating back to the XVII century, it features the Brignole coat-of-arms. Later on, two wings were annexed to the main building and, unlike other structures of the same time, the entrance was built under a portico in the right wing.

The palace, which actually stands on a terrace, can be accessed by two symmetrical staircases. Its main features are the Shell Room and the exquisite small theatre facing the Italian garden.

The big park was actually designed only in 1876, by Giuseppe Rovelli – a true enthusiast of English style gardens.

Right after the tree-lined avenue, there are two caves, an archway, a small temple and some marble elements -reminding visitors of Dante’’ hell. Then, there’s a mountain hut-like dairy and the castle, revealing itself as a true medieval fortress.

Arches and temples are abundant all the way up to the patch of horse-chestnut trees (Aesculus hippocastanum) and to the enclosure that has hosted fallow deers, deers and goats since the 1960s. Across the park, there are centuries-old trees including a 150-year-old, 104-feet high Platanus orientalis.

Being so big, the same area hosts many spontaneous and non-spontaneous plant species, such as false camphor (Cinnamomum glanduliferum), magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), cedars (Cedrus libani) and silver wattles (Acacia dealbata). Ancient peasant crops of olive trees, vines and fruit trees encircle the whole area.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)