Description:
Villa Saporiti is located on the western shores of Lake Como, just outside the historic centre characterised by additional noble residences dating between the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Villa Saporiti, designed by Leopold Pollack, was built between 1790 and1793 for the Marquise Eleonora Villani and was owned by the noble family until 1858.
Various differences in opinion with the Viennese architect Pollack led the nobles to revoke his charge. They subsequently turned to Luigi Cagnola for the execution of the monumental staircase and to solve certain technical issues.
Once construction was complete, the villa made a name for itself for its elegance, hosting important figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797. In1858 it became the property of the Marquis Apollinare Rocca Saporiti (from whom its current name derives).
With a strong neoclassical imprint, certain eighteenth-century architectural elements from Central Europe softened its appearance.
The two-floor Villa Saporiti is more commonly known by the name “La Rotonda” for its lakeside facade with an imposing central, round body punctuated by a sequence of half-columns and windows surmounted by medallions depicting pagan divinities associated with water. Inside, in addition to the central spiral hall and vaulted ceiling, we find: a scissor staircase by Luigi Cagnola leading up to the first floor, a sitting room with mosaic tile flooring inspired by classic Rome, the library, Corinthian columns and early nineteenth-century statutes. The severity of the exterior is juxtaposed by the rich decor of its interiors.
The villa was sold in 1950 to the Provincial Administration of Como, becoming the organization’s main offices after necessary restoration work was performed.
