Provincia di Milano

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Arconati Palace

It is one of the "Ville di Delizia", the aristocratic residences that were characteristic of the Milan area, and is situated in the territory of Bollate, in the Castellazzo locality. It is worthy of its nickname, "Little Versailles". The main proponent of the villa was Galeazzo Arconati Visconti, the famous 17th century collector, who boasted having among his own collections Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus, the Roman statue of Pompey the Great and the sculptures from the mausoleum of Gaston de Foiz, carved by Bambaia. Castellazzo, with its garden enhanced by shrines and theatres, became one of the most prestigious and renowned of Lombardy's "Ville di delizia". Its eighteenth-century main monumental staircase, the Phaethon Room with frescos by Galliari, and the reorganisation of its splendid gardens are just some of the qualities which made the villa an important destination for visitors, and the subject of frequent literary references, starting with Carlo Goldoni.
The "Carro di Fetonte" full of mythological imagination is one of the more significant frescoes produced by the Galliari brothers. Throughout a long century (1770-1865) the villa was owned by the Busca and given an eclectic style; in the 1900s, it became the property of the Crivelli. Nowadays, the villa is not only a theatre for events organised by the Polo Culturale Insieme Griane, but also a prestigious location in which to hold events.