Villa Visconti Borromeo Litta

With its mosaics, statues, frescoes, fountains and water features, Villa Litta is the perfect example of the “pleasure villas” so popular in Lombardy between the 16th and 17th century, when it was built on the order of Count Pirro I Visconti Borromeo and designed by some of the best architects of the time.

The result is breathtaking. The villa’s best-known feature is probably the Nymphaeum, which is one of the best examples of this type of architecture in the area, thanks to the grand embellishments and the effect of the water features, still working today, powered by the sophisticated plumbing designed by some of the era’s best fountain makers.

The park won the 2016 title of Most Beautiful Public Park in Italy thanks to its green houses, fountains, irrigation canals, the hornbeam tunnel made of over 300 plants, 800 metres long and 4 metres in height and width, and the Verzura theatre, the natural arena used for theatrical and musical performances.

Today the villa and the park host many cultural events such as shows, workshops and exhibitions.

The Nymphaeum and Water Features
The Nymphaeum, also known as the Palazzo delle Acque [Water Palace] was built between 1585 and 1589. The water here is not just a decorative feature; it is part of a playful, scenographic experience, able to transform a visit into a baroque performance on a smaller scale.

Rooms with mosaic decorations, grottoes, balustrades, fountains, and areas with charming names, such as the Hall of the Four Winds and the Egg Room. A tour that combines magnificent decorations with delightful water features, which are still able to surprise with their sudden jets and ingenious hydraulic mechanisms. A rare, fascinating system, inspired by the ideas of engineer Agostino Ramelli, which works in the exact same way today as it did then, restoring the spirit of the old pleasure villas - homes created to astound, divert and enchant their guests - at its most authentic.

From 1 May to 31 October, the Nymphaeum can also be discovered on specific guided tours that let you  admire, close up, the nearby Wunderkammer and its mosaics, the grottoes filled with sculptures, and the water features. On summer evenings, visits take on a special charm, all their own, thanks to the stunning lighting, developed for the Nymphaeum, the perfect accompaniment for a stroll under the stars, surrounded by art, history, and wonder.