Villa Olmo is a neoclassical

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

located in the city of

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...

, northern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. The villa was commissioned by marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi from Swiss architect

Simone Cantoni Simone Cantoni (Muggio, Switzerland , 1736- Gorgonzœla, Milan, Italy , 3 March 1818) was a Swiss architect of the Neoclassical period, active mainly in Northern Italy. Biography His father was his first mentor, but sent him as a young man to R ...

in 1797. As it was designed to be a summer retreat for the aristocracy, it was built alongside the lake. The villa was named after an elm tree planted in the middle of the ornate gardens, which is no longer alive today. It was acquired in 1924 by the municipality of Como and today is open to the public only during exhibitions, while the lakeside gardens are freely accessible during the daytime. 184ComoVillaOlmo.jpg, The villa seen from the lake 221ComoVillaOlmo.jpg, The villa and garden in July 2012 Como - Villa Olmo- Ceiling.jpg, Ceiling entrance

External links

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Villa Olmo - Alessandro Volta Scientific Association

Villa Olmo's Lido

Villa Olmo Exhibition Center
(Italian) Buildings and structures completed in the 19th century Olmo Buildings and structures in Como Neoclassical architecture in Lombardy Tourist attractions in Lombardy Gardens in Lombardy {{Italy-struct-stub