VILLA OLMO, Como, Italy

The name, Villa Olmo, is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm which no longer exists. It was built in the neoclassic style by Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi whose family also produced Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689). The construction of the villa started in 1782 and finished in 1797. The director of the construction was Simone Cantoni, an eminent architect from Ticino who elaborated on the original project drafted by Innocenzo Ragazzoni also from Ticino. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli. A series of historical visits began soon after construction ended. Amongst the illustrious guests, of special note are the visits of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 and Ugo Foscolo in 1809.

Upon the death of Innocenzo Odescalchi in 1824, the villa passed to the Raimondi family who took it upon themselves to put the large piazza opposite the villa in order. Once again the villa was witness to historical visits and meetings; in 1835, the Queen of the Two Sicilies and the Queen of Sardinia were guests of the Raimondis'. There followed the Emperor of Austria, Francis Ferdinand I and Maria Caroline, the Prince of Metternich, Marshall Radatzsky and Giuseppe Garibaldi. The latter was the protagonist in a controversial love affair with Giuseppina Raimondi. This led to a marriage which was immediately terminated amid grave reciprocal accusations.


In 1883, the heirs of Marquis Raimondi sold the villa to Duke Guido Visconti di Modrone who decided to carry out a programme of restoration and improvement which would include the interior of the building. Under the guidance of the architect Emilio Allemagna, the stable and the portico facing the lake were knocked down, the entrance was renovated and in 1883 the little theatre was built. The grand staircase was made magnificent when the ceiling of the etrance hall was knocked down and a crown of two balconies was created. All the rooms on the first floor of the villa were improved with decorations and stuccos.

In 1924, the villa passed from the Visconti di Modrone to the city of Como. Thus began the fourth period in its history under the banner of Art and Science. On the centenary of Alessandro Volta's death in 1927, the villa hosted the International Exhibition and there followed numerous local events, congresses, conventions, symposia and shows.
Since 1982 it has been the home of the "Alessandro Volta" Centre of Scientific Culture, and hosts its international events.

The Garden and the Park

A magnificent Italian garden extends from the front of the villa. Its central area is characterized by statues of pagan deities and a large fountain, the work of the Milanese sculptor, Oldofredi, with cherubs and marine animals in the middle. Through the two porticos, one enters the park located behind the building. The characteristics of the area include long-stemmed plants, wide green spaces, paths and a small neoclassical temple.

The Facade of the Villa

The neoclassical inspiration of Simone Cantoni fully manifests itself in the design of the villa's facade; a central body with five wide entrances in the median zone, above which rise six Ionic style columns. The roof of the villa is surronded by a balustrade interrupted by a large coat of arms of the Visconti di Modrone dukes. Especially striking is the great number of windows which give light to every room and which provide views of the lake and the garden of incomparable natural beaty.

The Inside of the Villa

The Ground Floor

The Entrance Hall: it rises to the third floor. Two wrought-iron balconies appear along the four sides of the hall. On the left, the grand staircase leads to the upper floors. The ceiling over the staircase contains a fresco showing Apollo in his sun chariot. The balcony and the ceiling of the grand hall are stuccoed and embellished. The gilded stuccos and the embellishments with heraldic emblems and symbols date back to the time of the Visconti di Mondrone.

The Ball Room: stuccos, adornments and frescos abound in the ball room, which is encircled at the first floor level by an elegant balcony with a wrought-iron balustrade. Four statues of pagan deities stand at the sides, the work of Carabelli. The strip immediately beneath the gallery bears bas-reliefs by the same artist depicting the Regions of Italy.
The ceiling is divided into various sections, the centre of which contains a round fresco of flying angels and cupids. Two large rectangular medallions contain priceless frescos by Domenico Pozzi. The fresco on the north side represents the race between Neptune and Minerva, the one on the south side shows Apollo surrounded by the nine muses. The remaining section of the ceiling is taken up by allegorical figures in neutral colours and by surrounding stuccos.

The Hall of Mirrors: all of the walls in this room are covered by large mirrors divided into panels trimmed in gilded studs. At the back of the room there is a stele holding a bust of a local noblewoman, Felicita Giovio.

The Oval Room: this is one of the most beautiful rooms of the villa, from both an architectural and a decorative point of view. The room has a pseudo-elliptical shape with the floor divided into sections, like the ceiling. The centre is taken up completely by a large fresco of uncertain origin depicting the wedding of a young woman and the god of war. In the background one can see Olympus. One of the figures in the celestial ranks holds the fasces, symbol of the Cisalpine Republic. This represents the symbolic marriage of Napoleon and the Cisalpine Republic.

The Hall of Bacchus: this was the dining room of the villa as the frescos and decorations on the walls testify. On the panels above the door is the tasty story of wine, from the harvest of the grapes to the drunkness of the cupids who have done the harvesting and the pressing.

The Little Theatre: built in 1883 and inaugurated in 1887, it is one of the jewels of Villa Olmo. It has a 92-seat capacity and is equipped with perfect acoustic. The stage is set in a frame of gilded wooden flowers and fruits. The vault was frescoed by Fontana.

The Odescalchi Chapel: the square-shaped chapel, built in 1816, is crowned by a small oval cupola. It is dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin. In the vaults of the chapel, images of the four evangelists are kept. Three windows with a small wooden balaustrade prie-Dieu open onto the chapel from the first floor. On the wall of the altar a rectangular painting depicts the Trinity and worshipping angels.

The Music Room: it is amongst the most elegant rooms on the ground floor with its remarkable stuccos on the ceiling, the mythological figures on the walls and the great central painting on the ceiling, attributed to the Pozzi brothers, representing Anfione who plays the lyre and creates the walls of Thebes.

The First Floor

The Hall of Olympus: a vast room whose walls are decorated with mythological figures. The door panels bear scenes of war. On the ceiling of the great room is a fresco by Domenico Pozzi depicting Olympus.

The Room of Visconti di Modrone: the bedroom of the Visonti di Modrone dukes is characterised by decorations which date back to the end of the nineteenth century, the most valuable of which is the large fresco by Ernesto Fontana depicting Fortune. To the left of the fresco, some cupids hold the shield bearing the Visconti di Modrone coat of arms.

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Last updated Wednesday, April 30, 2003