Villa Carlotta

The Villa Carlotta is a villa in Northern Italy on Lake Como. It was built for the Milanese marchese Giorgio Clerici in 1690 and occupies a site of over 70,000 m² at Tremezzo, facing the Bellagio peninsula. An Italian garden, with steps, fountains and sculpture was laid out at the same time. Among the statues, "Mars and Venus" by Luigi Acquisti is very important.

History

The architect of the villa is unknown. It was completed in 1745, and remained in the hands of Clerici until in 1795 it passed by marriage to the banker and Napoleonic politician Giambattista Sommariva, who added a pediment and clock. In 1843 it was given as a wedding present from Princess Marianna of Prussia to her daughter Charlotte, Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen, after whom the villa is named.

References

* Ramsay, A. and Attlee, H. "Italian Gardens", Robertson McCarta, London 1989.