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Villa Carlotta
Villa Carlotta
Built at the end of the seventeenth century for Marquis Giorgio Clerici, the villa faithfully followed the canons of late Lombard Baroque, with a symmetrical design that still dominates the main front, with the Arion of Methymna basin, the terraces with the famous collection of citrus trees planted in the ground, and the staircases.
The formal layout was partly reworked from 1801, when the property passed to G.B. Sommariva, a refined collector of neoclassical artworks, some of which can be admired in the Museum. He was responsible for the transformation of vast areas of the garden, based on the new canons of the English garden, with the aim of placing the old formal garden in a rural context, already begun by Clerici, made up of "olive trees and vineyards, groves and small fields, meadows and vegetable gardens".
The same direction was taken by the subsequent owners, Princess Marianna of Nassau (1843) and her daughter Carlotta, who married Duke Georg II von Sachsen-Meiningen in 1850. The longitudinal avenues were decorated with thousands of rhododendrons and azaleas, which still constitute the springtime attraction of the garden.
Other renowned features date back to that period: the Old Garden with the Dwarves' Waterfall, the Fern Valley, the Arboreal Rhododendron Wood, and the rock garden. Among the most recent additions are the Bamboo Garden and the Museum of Agricultural Tools.
The modern appearance of the complex has not changed, even after 1927, when management was entrusted to a Moral Entity chaired by Count Giuseppe Bianchini. Over time, Villa Carlotta has become a refined botanical garden; a recent census (2008) recorded the presence of 800 species and varieties, with over 1000 trees and as many shrubs, including 400 camellias, 250 rhododendrons, and 200 roses.
The villa was built at the close of the 17th century for Marquis Giorgio Clerici following the canons of late Lombard Baroque, with a symmetrical design that still dominates the front area with the Arion of Methymna fountain basin, the terraces with the famous collection of planted citrus trees, and the stone staircases.
The formal layout was partly reworked in 1801, when the property passed to G.B. Sommariva, a collector of Neoclassical works of art, some of which can still be admired in the Museum. Sommariva transformed large areas of the gardens by adopting the new canons of the English-style garden and placing the formal garden in a rural setting.
The next owners, Princess Marianne von Nassau (1843) and her daughter Charlotte, who married Duke Georg II von Sachsen-Meiningen in 1850, continued along these lines. The longitudinal avenues were decorated with rhododendrons and azaleas, a major attraction of the gardens in the spring.
Other features are of the same period the Old Garden with the Waterfall of the Dwarves, the Valley of the Ferns, the Rhododendron Wood and the rock garden. The most recent innovations include The Bamboo Garden and the Museum of Farm Implements.
The modern aspect of the complex has stayed the same it did not even change when the management was assigned to a non-profit corporation headed by Count Giuseppe Bianchini in 1927. Villa Carlotta has built up a refined botanical garden a census, in 2008, recorded the presence of 800 species and varieties, with 1,000 trees and many shrubs, including 400 camelias, 250 rhododendrons and 200 roses.
Info: www.villacarlotta.it
Villa Carlotta
Via Regina 2 22019 Tremezzo
Tel. 0344 40405
Email info@villacarlotta.it
Taken from “I GIRADINI”, Grandi Giardini Italiani (www.grandigiardini.it) – CCIAA Como, Province of Como. The entire guide can be consulted at http://www.co.camcom.it/guideturismo
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