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Monday, November 5, 2012

The Gardens of Villa Melzi strech out along the lake shore and are armoniously inserted into the hilly scenery of the Bellagio peninsula that divides the two branches of Lario lake. Inland, the Villa, the Chapel and the orangery, today transformed into a historical museum, are splendid expression of neo-classical style and as such stated national monument. Thise architectural complex was realized between 1808 and 1810 for Francesco Melzi d'Eril (1753-1816), Duke of Lodi, Vice President of Italian Republic under Napoleon and afterwards Gran Chancellor of the Napoleonic Reign of Italy. Francesco Melzi d'Eril relied upon the architect and decorator Giocondo Albertolli (1742-1839), an exponent of great importance in neo-classicism, asking for a villa looking sober and polished whose simples lines and volumes would emphasize the surrounding amazing countryside...