Villa Besana Ciani

The property, of neoclassical style, consists of a main building, a concierge and a separate house for the service staff. The current appearance of the villa, despite some minor interventions, is very faithful to the original.

Built towards the end of 1700, was initially known as Villa Lariana. Put up for auction in 1791, it was acquired by the Marquis Tiberio Crivelli; his heirs sold it to the Londonio family. To be remembered is the painter and engraver Francesco and his brother Carlo Giuseppe Londonio, economist, who held important public offices. Friend of the poet Vincenzo Monti, exponent of Italian neoclassicism, he often hosted him at the Villa, where the writer composed some lyrics and part of the "Feroniade".
The Villa then became property of the Mantegazza family and in 1869 of the brothers Carlo and Enrico Besana, nephews of the Baroni Ciani, famous characters of the Renaissance period and owners of the homonymous villa in Lugano.
Enrico Besana was a significant character for the Italian history; fervent Garibaldian, he contributed to find the funds for the famous “Spedizione dei Mille”, an expedition with the purpose to unify Italy as a unique State, and was engaged in other enterprises, so much to be well liked by the Count Camillo Benso of Cavour. Traveler, deputy to the Chamber, writer, to him a road was entitled in Milan and in Cernobbio (the one that leads to the homonymous Villa), on the occasion of his death (1887). Another important personality was the commander Augusto Besana Ciani, who was president of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este after the Second World War and relaunched its activity.