Villa Necchi provides an oasis of calm in the centre of Milan. Surrounded by a beautiful garden with swimming pool and tennis court, the villa is an unexpected find an otherwise hectic city.
It was built between 1932 and 1935 by architect Piero Portaluppi and served as the home for Angelo Campiglio, his wife and his brother’s wife Nedda Necchi Gigina, belonging to the upper middle class of Lombard industrial families.
The house has remained intact, both on the outside and the inside, and provides a fascinating view into the lives of those who once lived and worked there. The collection of decorative arts and furnishings further help the visitor to imagine what life must have been like in the villa in the 1930s.
Villa Necchi plays a central role in the 2009 film “Io Sono Amore” (I Am Love) directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Tilda Swinton, a tragic love story set in Milan (see also the New York Times article Leading Mansion).
Visits to the villa are possible by guided tour only, with tours leaving every 30 minutes and lasting approximately 50 minutes. The gardens can be visited freely and give access to the coffee shop.
