VILLA REALE
Resort, villa of neoclassical architecture surrounded by a park in Monza.
Created at the request of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria as a holiday resort between 1777 and 1780, the villa is a fine example of neoclassical architecture, surrounded by a magnificent park. Eugène de Beauharnais, viceroy of Italy, stayed here, as did the kings of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I.
Villa Reale. The architect Giuseppe Piermarini, who designed Milan's La Scala, adopted the traditional U-shaped plan of 18th-century Lombard villas. The central body, topped by a belvedere, housed the archduke's apartments and reception rooms. The apartments reserved for visitors and service staff were located in the two wings. A courtyard chapel, carriage house and theater complete the ensemble. Annexed to the Villa, the gardens illustrate the period's passion for English-style gardens.
Reggia contemporanea: Since December 2023, the first and second floors of the Reggia have been home to some one hundred works by contemporary artists (Piero Fornasetti, Pietro Ruffo...), in a highly successful marriage of past and present. On view until summer 2025.
Parco Reale. This 700-hectare park was created in 1805 by Napoleon Bonaparte as a vast agricultural and hunting reserve. Eugène de Beauharnais oversaw its construction. A 14-kilometer wall was built around the park in 1807, making it the largest urban park in Europe. Today, three mills and several cascades remain.
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