Villa de Vecchi

INSPIRATION

“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Leonardo Da Vinci

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Felix De Vecchi, a Count who had traveled many parts of the world and been a soldier came home to Italy. He bought with him a passion for the East which is reflected in the home he was about to create Villa de Vecchi.

Only in his thirties, it was a time of travel and romance. I imagine him wandering the area near Lake Como and deciding on the perfect place to build his summer house.

He chose the architect Alessandro Sidoli, and work progressed. The many innovations included are well documented, such as the use of heating tubes within the walls similar to those used today. Serving hatches were used to bring food from the kitchens to the upper floors, and the fountain was able to shoot into the air using pressure from the slope of the mountain.

It was a home created with passion and imagination. Extensive gardens and parkland were planted, a keepers house built, parties held, and many summers were spent living a charmed life.

Exquisite decorative fresco’s covered the walls and ceilings, in the hall there are the remains of a grand piano and a huge fireplace in the next room. We can only begin to imagine how glorious it must have been.

Villa de Vecchi was a stunning work created from the imagination of both men.

That it still brings forth such a response so many years later is a fitting testament to the creative genius of these men.

Sadly Alessandro was not to see the final result, he died a year before completion.

The count and his family were said not to live a full and happy life together at the Villa. It’s been reported that one day he returned home to find his wife murdered, her face disfigured and his daughter missing. He searched the woods for weeks without finding a trace. Distraught he killed himself. I do not in any way say this story is the truth but it is the popular story of what happened.

It was 1862, he was only forty six years old.

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After his death the house was passed to his brother Biagio, who at the end of the sixties completely removed the Eastern influence from the keepers house replacing the dome and decorations with stone. The Count’s family owned Villa de Vecchi and spent many summers in it’s beauty till the early forties.

Abandoned for the next twenty years it was sold and has had a number of owners.

This glorious dream a young man began so many years ago fell into decay, the pipes that had been so innovative helping in it’s downfall as they slowly broke within the walls. Vandals and time began the process which continues today.

The urban legend grows with talk of ghosts and tragedy.

Even as I look at these images I can picture Felix De Vecchi strolling through the grounds notebook in hand, dreams in his heart. Those who fell in love with the house and it’s beauty are attempting to save it. The process is complex yet I can only hope it succeeds.

Perhaps the legacy of Felix De Vecchi and Alessandro Sidoli will live on, with help not only from those close by but from all over the world. His story and that of Villa De Vecchi will one day be fully told and shared.

Please note every effort has been made to verify the above information for Villa de Vecchi, if you are able to update, correct or give any further information I would be very happy to hear from you. ciao lisa

images ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 7 ~ 8 ~ 9 ~ 10 ~ 11

further resources ~ Valsassina News ~ Salviami the Villa (fb) ~ Flickr Jeff Kerwin

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and the gang x

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71 replies

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Tiffeny Glidewell says:
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I’m incredibly interested in this house if it’s for sale how would i find out how much it’s going for if i wanted to purchase. A contact to who i could purchase it from would be great!?
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- Marco Marchese says:
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  Dear Tiffany, dear all, I am italian from Milan and I was like you interested to buy this house and restore it. The actual owners are some shareholders of a small factory that produces mechanical parts near the town Cortenova. In the last 12 years the villa was put in auction 3 times, but no one has made any bid at all. No one wants to buy it because it is forbidden from the Italian Government to restore it. This because the entire area is under hydro geological medium – high risk level of landslide. Also simply touch the walls is forbidden. The authorities of the area refuse the authorizations to the owners for any kind of intervention, as some metallic mezzanines, in order to support and save what it is still standing up. So no chance to save it. It seems a paradox but this is the real actual situation till the area will not pass to good hydrological conditions (and this will never happens). Hope to have clarified the situation, Marco.
- Marco Marchese says:
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  Moreover, I suggest you to check the italian magazines in a period included from the end of last century and the first years of 2000 and you will find the tragedy happened in this area around all the villa. Some big landslides are happened in all around the house and on the highway gallery below. Many people dies. As a miracle, the villa was not touch for about a couple of meters… This is why the area is now considered dangerous. Please look to North Italian Magazines, pubblished in Lecco city area.
Jennifer says:
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Wikipedia Italy has an article on him. Felice De Vecchi. No murder, no daughter. He was a widower with two young sons when he began the villa. He lives in it with his boys and died of poor health when they were 12 and 16. He was actually a well known Italian artist.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh never found that story, I”m much happier to think of him living with his sons and being an artist! Thanks for filling me in xx lisa
- Michael says:
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  Beautiful structure, and sad story he’s gone too soon and left behind 2 teenagers son. Hope will be restored💖asap.
A. DE VECCHI says:
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I am a De Vecchi
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- Josephine says:
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  Wow! That’s awesome!
- John Thompson says:
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  Just from reading the story, I believe Felix’ brother Biagio made unreciprocated advances toward his brothers wife, she laughed at him, so he angrily murdered her. The daughter was collateral. She is probably buried near. Try ground penetrating equipment. Sorry. He & his family sounded Terrific.
- My grandmother was Barbarino Evelina De Vecchi who married Evelino Carlos Baiardi from Allesando Itally. They immigrated to West Springfield MA USA in 1903. She had 5 sons & died in 1918. Do you have any information about her? says:
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  Please reply. Thank you
- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  I’m so sorry I really don’t know any of the history of the family other than what is in the post.
  I’d love to hear if you find any further details, you could try contacting the commune in the town where Villa De Vecchi is situated.
  xx lisa
Lisa Clague says:
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Wow, is this villa for sale do you know?
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Ann says:
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Bongiorno Lisa,
Try: 1990 Bindo di Cortenova. pdf.
Lots of hot chocolates Lisa. Coldest July here in 40 years, but no snow. YET!
I have spoken with a dear Italian friend of mine and asked her if we could travel to Italy together. I would love her company. She has visited Italy and met her rellies on 2 trips now. Here’s hoping.
Ciao,
Ann.
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Ann says:
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Hi Lisa,
I went searching for the Architect, Alessandro Sidoli, and I found the architectural plans to the Villa. Very detailed & interesting. what is the weather like in Italy at the moment? It is freezing in South Gippsland!!! but we are keeping warm. Ciao, Ann.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh I’d love to see them is there a link you could send? It’s very warm here in Italy we are having a heat wave. Beautiful summer days and warm nights, have a hot chocolate for me lol xx
Ann says:
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This is Wow! A manuscript has been found that records Count Felice de Vecchi’s travel’s in the East! There is to be a full ceremony and cutting of the Red Tape at an Expo in Lombardy on the 5 October, 2015. Wish I could be there!
Article:
http://www.arte.it/calendario-arte/milano/mostra-giornale-di-carovana-il-manoscritto-ritrovato-l-oriente-attraverso-gli-occhi-di-un-patriota-milanese-dimenticato-felice-de-vecchi-4835
There is a photo of the Count himself!
( I translated this article to get the details).
Tanto amore a tutti voi.
Ann.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Oh I’d love to see them is there a link you could send? It’s very warm here in Italy we are having a heat wave. Beautiful summer days and warm nights, have a hot chocolate for me lol xx
Ann says:
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Ciao Lisa,
February last year since I visited here. Your email re “new comment” started me on a fresh look at the Villa. There are some amazing photos in Flickr. I just cant get over the exquisite beauty and fine detail of the Fresco’s. Even after all this time, you get it. I found a photo showing a bath that was made in a wall. Complete with tap! State-of-the-art for back then. I imagine it would take a fortune to restore it now, to its former glory, particularly with the decay in the walls from the pipes. I found an article which has a photo of Count Felice de Vecchi. did you get the link? A little more history.
Looks like you are having a wonderful time in Italy. I hope I can travel one day soon.
Grazie, Ann.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  It is still fascinating to me and I hope one day to at least see it in person. I know the Flickr photos are beautiful and thank goodness someone recorded the house as it is slowly taken over by nature. Oh I’d love to see a photo of the Count, I’ll look for the link, where did you send it? Hope to meet you one day and catch up, much love lisa x
- Ann says:
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  Ciao Lisa, I hit reply to the email you sent me with “new comment”. Does that work? It should have gone back to your Renovating Italy email address? Let me know if you cant find it and I will resend.
  Ann.
- Gina Vecchi says:
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  Ann,
  I would love to see photos of the count as well. Would you mind sending me the link? My email is gina.vecchi@yahoo.com.
  Thanks!
Kathrine says:
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Hi Lisa, what an incredible house! I loved reading all the information you have and seeing the photos, not sure I’m going to be able to stop thinking about this place now. Do you know who owns the property now? Is it a large property, does it have a lot of land connected with it still? I have a miĺlion questions i’d love to ask…..but I will try and restrain myself… ☺
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Ciao Kathrine, I’d love to visit the house one day, I am yet to see it in person. I really have no idea who owns it now but you can find a page for it on facebook and other links I put in the post. It seems to have touched so many people. xx
Gina Vecchi says:
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For weeks now I have been dreaming of and – I guess you could call it – craving to buy and old mansion that is in dire need of repair. A sort of fix-er-upper mansion. I am in no position financially to do this as I have been very ill for quite some time. So, I chalked this up to some sort of odd thing that will pass. The last few days I have been frantically trying to figure out why I have this impulse and trying to find out if there is in fact a place that exists that looks like what I have been “thinking” of.

Today, for no real reason, I decided to google myself. Guess what came up. A picture of this Villa De Vecchi. It is the exact building I have been “seeing”. I find it VERY odd that it has my name on it. I am a little freaked out. I don’t know what this means or what I am supposed to do about it.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
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- Lisa Chiodo says:
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  Gina that is so bizarre, Villa de Vecchi has lived in my heart since I first saw the photo a few years ago and fell in love with the story. Maybe you could join in the efforts to save her. She has such a story and my friend Jeff who took the photos has been a few times to visit. I know they have a fb group I think I included the link. I’m so happy you found this post and now have a small connection to Villa de Vecchi, what a lovely twist to the tale. xxx
  ciao ciao lisa