Dear fellow travelers,
As Daniela Uslan, I’m thrilled to recommend the magnificent Villa Bettoni for your next Italian adventure. Nestled on the western shore of Lake Garda, this 18th-century marvel offers an unforgettable experience.
Key facts:
• Location: Bogliaco, Lombardy, Italy
• Built: 1750-1800
• Architectural style: Baroque
• Garden area: 10 hectares
The villa’s crowning glory is its monumental garden, a stunning example of Italian landscape design. Cascading terraces, elaborate fountains, and meticulously manicured hedges create a mesmerizing visual spectacle.
From the villa’s vantage point, you’ll be treated to breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Garda’s shimmering waters and the surrounding mountains. It’s a sight that truly takes your breath away.
Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the villa’s interior, adorned with period furnishings, frescoes, and an impressive art collection.
For history buffs, art enthusiasts, and nature lovers alike, Villa Bettoni is a must-visit destination that perfectly encapsulates the beauty and grandeur of Italian heritage..
With its wide classical facade reflected in the waters of Lake Garda, surrounded by beautiful monumental gardens: we are talking about Villa Bettoni, one of Lombardy’s most striking 18th-century architectures. With its marvelous panorama and a large park full of sculptures, it is an essential stop for those who want to immerse themselves among the most precious treasures of this lakeshore. Let’s discover the history and spectacular halls that characterize this building.
Where Villa Bettoni is located
The Lombard shore of the Lake Garda offers tourists some of the most spectacular villas in the entire region. It is here that we find Villa Bettoni, a classical architecture that represents one of the most beautiful examples of the Lombard 18th century. We are in Bogliaco, a charming town consisting of a few small houses and a building considered a true historical monument. It is a small hamlet in the municipality of Gargnano, in the province of Brescia: not too well known to mass tourism, it is a place where you can still breathe an authentic atmosphere. And in this beautiful setting, stands Villa Bettoni. Let’s find out more about this gem.
Villa Bettoni, the history
La history of Villa Bettoni is closely linked to that of one of the most noble families in the area: the Bettoni Cazzago Counts. Its members, landowners of large fiefs located between lower Brescia, the shores of Lake Garda and the Tyrol (as well as land in Brescia, Genoa and Naples), owed its fortune to both the army and farming. Thanks to good relations with Vienna – Gian Antonio Bettoni became commanding general of the Austrian cavalry in Italy-and to the cultivation of citrus fruits that gave rise to an important trade throughout Europe, the family decided to build a huge villa that could be to their full representation.
They thus opted for Bogliaco, this small town overlooking Lake Garda where the lemon farming enterprise had already been very successful. It was Gian Domenico Bettoni’s sons, as many as 16 brothers, who initiated the construction of this impressive architecture. A number of 17th-century buildings already existed on the site chosen for the construction of the villa, and these were incorporated into the original design. Thus it was that, at the turn of the first and second half of the 1700s, theVeronese architect Adriano Cristofali obtained the commission and began work on bringing Villa Bettoni to light. After some disagreements with Cristofali, construction was halted and resumed a few years later under the direction of Antonio Marchetti.
Over the course of the 1800s, the Bettoni family assumed increasing importance: just to testify to the historical relevance of its members, it is worth mentioning that their Brescia mansion was witness to such high-profile encounters as those with Napoleon Bonaparte, Victor Hugo, Pietro Mascagni, Giuseppe Garibaldi and Giacomo Puccini, as well as those with the rulers of Italy. Following the family’s fortunes, the residence on Lake Como gradually became more and more mammoth. So much so that, to this day, it is called the “little Versailles of Italy.”. Particularly fascinating are its monumental gardens, which stand at the rear of the villa, between it and the street.
Especially committed to their realization was the Count Giovanni Maria Bettoni, and the work was entrusted to the Florentine Amerigo Vincenzo Pierallini, who also employed Filippo Sprizzi, gardener to the Duke of Parma. Villa Bettoni was both a noble residence and the headquarters of the family business, at least until the outbreak of World War II. During those years it was occupied by German troops, and later became the seat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Social Republic. Today, returned to the hands of its original family, is one of the most fascinating historic mansions in northern Italy. Guided tours of its gardens and interior halls, which are filled with precious works of art, are available by appointment.
The splendid interiors of Villa Bettoni
Villa Bettoni is spread over four floors and features two splendid facades, one facing the lake and one at the rear, overlooking the gardens. The building consists of a central body, with an ashlar surface characterizing the ground floor-where a tripartite portico stands-and marvelous windows surmounted by richly decorated gables. The top floor, on the other hand, is crowned by a balustrade with stone statues, the work of sculptors Giovanni Battista Locatelli and Francesco Cignaroli. On either side of the central building are two lower wings with smooth facades devoid of decorative elements except for the gables above the windows.
Inside, the villa opens onto the grand staircase of honor, where other statues by Locatelli and frescoes created by the Galliari brothers appear. The staircase opens onto the salon, which is also decorated with precious frescoes and occupies three floors in height: from here there is a splendid view of the mountains while, on the opposite side, the view is of the lake instead. One of the most fascinating rooms in the villa is the picture gallery, which is a wonderful example of a private picture gallery, with family portraits and a room dedicated to Marshal Gian Antonio Bettoni-who worked for Maria Theresa of Austria.
The monumental gardens
The back of the villa is occupied by a huge park, connected to the building by two overhead bridges: it is a splendid example of the play of perspectives, really very scenic. In every corner there are elements that harmonize perfectly with each other and with Villa Bettoni, putting the importance of nature in the foreground. The garden houses olive and citrus groves, is also decorated with laurels and laurel trees and by a tree-lined avenue at the end of which a small temple dedicated to Apollo was to have stood. Particularly striking, then, are the architecture and sculptures that characterize the entire park.
There are in fact three main fountains, each fed by sources within the Villa Bettoni property, two magnificent terraces with a’enchanting view of the lake and an artificial grotto. Most valuable are the statues depicting the moral virtues: the sculptural groups dedicated to Charity and Glory stand out, as well as those near the cave representing Strength, Glory, Honor, Loyalty, Hunting and Prudence. All the statues were made by Giovanni Battista Locatelli, author of many other sculptural works that are kept inside the villa.
