Villa Olmo, Como (must see)

Villa Olmo is a neoclassic jewel on a grand scale, dating from the 18th century, designed by Swiss architect Simone Cantoni. The Villa Olmo was a summer palace for the Italian noble family Odescalchi. It is the most sumptuous and celebrated of Como residences. The building was named for the gigantic elm tree in the front garden.

The Villa Olmo had two gardens; an Italian in front and an English park in the back. According to legend, Pliny the Younger, a native of Como, planted the great elm as he created the park around the mansion.

The original central neoclassical part of the building is raised and faced with massive columns decorated with depictions of Plato, Solon, Thales, Socrates, and Pythagoras, created by sculptor Francesco Carabelli. Inside, an immense atrium, three floors high, takes up the entire area of the Villa. An enormous arch leads to a grand staircase.

After the Atrium is the ballroom with a pavilion vault holding frescoes by 18th-century artist Domenico Pozzi showing the Gods of Olympus. Beyond the ballroom are a series of rooms dedicated to reception and conversation. They are decorated with stuccos and gildings and are named for Greek Goddess Dionysus, Ariadne, and Artemis. On the second floor, mythological adornments fill the rooms honoring Olympus. There is also a medallion depicting the Apotheosis of Heracles.

Innocenzo Odescalchi, the first owner, enlarged the building and added wings. Among the notable guests of the Villa Olmo was Napoleon in 1797, emperors of Austria Francis II and Ferdinand I in 1816, 1826, and 1838, the poet Ugo Foscolo in 1808, and the general Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1859.

A portico, two balconies, and a small theatre were added under the ownership of Marquis Guido Visconti. The garden park was rearranged, and the ground floor stuccos were refurbished. Since 1924, the Villa Olmo has been owned by the City of Como, which has kept it as a venue for cultural events.