This splendid noble villa dating back to the 17th century, is located in Seriate, in the province of Bergamo. The villa itself, built by the Vertova family, is a masterpiece of Lombard Baroque architecture.

It consists of a central section and two side wings. The central part has three floors, topped with a gable roof. The entrance is preceded by a portico with three arches. The two wings have two storeys and balconies.
Inside the villa are 58 rooms, a chapel, a garage and a portico, and it contains many frescos, stucco work and period furniture. The ballroom is the largest and most lavish, decorated with trompe-l'œil frescos of scenes from mythology. The English-style gardens around the villa cover around 1,600 sqm and contain a wide variety of plants and flowers, as well as two statues depicting the Nile and the Tiber .
From late 1957, Betty Ambiveri made her Seriate villa available for the initiatives of the Russia Cristiana Association. This important lady from Bergamo was awarded the gold medal for civilian valour in 1961, for her solidairty works during both World Wars and in the post-war periods, as well as for her committed work in political, administrative and social fields.
Villa Ambiveri was bought by the Russia Cristiana Foundation in 1958 and is now the home of a centre for studies and spirituality, as well as the “Betty Ambiveri” library, with its more than 40 thousand books, mostly in Russian. The library is open to the public from Tuesday to Friday, from 9:00am to 12:30pm.
 

(Ph: Comune di Seriate)