Villa Monastero in Varenna Lake Como Italy

Villa Monastero is located in Varenna on the road towards Fiumelatte.
Its original purpose was, as the name suggests, of a religious nature; it is an old monastery of Cistercian sisters.
In 1567, by order of Pope Pius V, the monastery was closed. In 1569 the monastery was acquired by the noble Mornico family and left in 1645. Lelio Mornico will restore it and transform it into a handsome, stately villa.
In the course of time it changed hands and became the property of the German W. Kees at the end of the 19th century. The new owner leaves Enrich the garden with decorative, architectural elements and plant numerous exotic plants, especially from the Far East and according to the taste of the era.
In 1925 the villa was bought by Marco de Marchi and donated to the state. In 1977 it definitely went to the CNR (Consiglio Nazionale di Ricerche).

The villa is also used for congresses and meetings as well as cultural events and has been managed by the Provincial Administration of the Province of Lecco since 1996. In 2003 the villa became a museum. There are 14 rooms inside the villa, which are completely furnished with original furniture and art objects. The garden extends 1 km along the lake. It shows an arcade supported by columns, a temple, a fountain, flowering beds along the paths that lead to the lake and tall cypress trees.

A visit to Villa Cipressi, located next to Villa Monastero, is also recommended.

This villa is also a complex of buildings and gardens with an important historical background, built between 1400 and 1800.

OPENING HOURS: Garden: open from March 31st to November 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. . The & ldquo; Casa Museo & ldquo; in the villa: Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

ACCESS: approx. 800 m from the ship landing stage in Varenna away. Follow the promenade towards the south.

INFORMATION: Tel. 0341 295450, Fax 0341 295441
e-mail villa.monastero@provincia.lecco.it- www.villamonastero.eu