Villa on the Shore of Lake Maggiore

Villa on the Shore of Lake Maggiore

On the shores of Lake Maggiore, in one of the most elegant and historically significant stretches of its coastline, lies a villa whose story, for decades, was known only to an exceptionally select circle.

A residence once belonging to the elite of Northern Italy, connected to prominent figures in architecture, landscape design, and the entrepreneurial culture of its time, it long remained one of the most private estates on the lake.

Today, more than a century after its creation, the villa reveals its story with discretion and restraint.

Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (circa 1900–1905), the lawyer Antonio Casanova carefully selected this lakeside site.

Enrico Rovelli, one of the leading landscape designers of the late 19th century, renowned for his collections of rare plants and camellias that helped define the botanical identity of the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore.

Casanova fell in love with the place and commissioned the construction of a villa in an eclectic style, distinguished by Tuscan and Corinthian pilasters, the strict symmetry of its façades, and a high base oriented toward the water.

From the outset, the residence was conceived as a harmonious synthesis of architecture and landscape—a principle that has defined its identity over time.

In the mid-20th century, the villa acquired a new cultural dimension.

In 1952, the park became the subject of a project by Piero Portaluppi, one of the most influential Italian architects of the 20th century. The project transformed the garden into a scenographic space, articulated through perspective views, landscape axes, and areas of filtered light among century-old trees, creating a constant dialogue with the lake.

The garden thus became a true second façade of the villa.

Today, the property presents itself as a significant private architectural and landscape complex.

The total built area amounts to 2,344 sqm, of which approximately 1,960 sqm are currently inhabited or habitable, while the park extends over 24,000 sqm of meticulously maintained land, featuring mature trees, rare botanical species, and expansive areas of complete privacy.

In addition to the main villa, the estate includes two independent buildings that complement the residence, suitable for various residential or service functions, as well as a third building once used to store produce from the orchard (the orchard and vegetable garden no longer exist), together with its greenhouse.

A particularly rare feature is the private boathouse, owned as part of the property, with direct access to the lake and its own garden—an अत्यन्त exclusive characteristic within the context of Lake Maggiore.

Today, this villa represents not only an elegant lakeside residence but a unique heritage asset, where history, architecture, landscape, and a direct relationship with the water merge into an irreplaceable whole.

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