In the hamlet of Canonica, Triuggio, in the heart of the Lambro valley, a majestic country residence - a ‘Villa di Delizia’ (villa of delight) - dominates the landscape in the Monza area of Brianza: Villa Taverna, one of the most prestigious aristocratic villas in Lombardy. 

Built in the early 16th Century, the main facade of the two-storey Villa Taverna stands between two lower wings to form a “U” shape. The entrance to the courtyard features a Baroque-style gate with two curved pillars supporting large statues on either side.

After it was built in the 16th Century, the Villa was restructured in the 17th Century, with even refurbishments in the 18th Century. Its present external appearance dates back to this later period.

The interiors are a marvel of delights, rich in history, featuring portraits of elegant ladies and brave noblemen, fine marblework and exquisite handwoven tapestries. A large, over 6-hectare Italian-style garden, opens up behind the villa, crossed by a straight, narrow path. The parkland is also home to the Santa Maria della Neve church dedicated to Our Lady of the Snow, with a marble “Madonna col Bambino”, considered to be miraculous.

An anecdote? Villa Taverna supposedly accommodated Gian Paolo Osio (Egidio in Alessandro Mazzini’s novel “The Betrothed” (Promessi Sposi) during his escape from the murders committed in the attempt to hide his relationship with The Nun of Monza.