Lateral Façade Overlooking the Park

The southern facade of the villa, overlooking the garden appurtenance and in a special way the French parterres and the theatre of Hercules, was built at the behest of Count Giuseppe Antonio Arconati, grandson of Giuseppe Maria. It is most likely that Arconati called on the architect, Giovanni Ruggeri, to carry out the work of enlarging the main facade, with the addition of the southwest wing and the redesigning of the southern portion of the garden. However, recent studies have reduced his real contribution because Giovanni Ruggeri died around 1731 without, therefore, being able to complete the construction which ended certainly just before before 1750. It is thus conceivable that he was the only designer of the overall project, the construction of which was assigned to another master currently anonymous.

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Surrounded by green and manicured lawns, the side of the villa rose to become the third façade. In fact, it not only looks impressive in size and architectural structure, but also has acquired a key role in representing the entire villa because of the garden scene. Indeed, it is located at the end of the long avenue of trees beautifully organized under the laws of aesthetics of the art of topiary, or the art of pruning and cutting plants according to a precise geometric rule or figurative form.

The southern façade is characterized by a simple structure with the large architectural expanse divided horizontally by two overlapping layouts, separated only by a lovely mixtilinear stringcourse that doubles as a frame for the windows of the main floor of the building.

The lower layout has a regular series of French doors distributed according to strict rules of geometrical composition. Externally they appear with wrought iron parapets. Under each of these openings is a rectangular window, simply enclosed by a linear frame. This is inserted with a band at the base of the building, acting as a plinth and setting up the façade. Protected by metal grates, some of these openings have been transformed into small entrance gates to the narrow basement which functioned largely for airing the base of the first floor and the walls of the building, and was not used for storing or as a warehouse. Even the larger doors have a protruding mixtilinear motif cornice with some stylistic variation, which characterises the openings of the upper floors. These, however, differ from those of the lower row since they are enclosed in geometric frames which protrude slightly above each opening.

Thanks to the presence of some decorative faux pilasters, characterised by central mixtilinear central frames and the division determined by the stringcourse, the façade has a wide vertical sloping background, with the largest area in the middle and the lower end.

Set in a strict geometric layout, the façade has a clear central axis of symmetry which coincides with the entrance door, framed by two pilasters with protruding capitals and corbels that serve as support for the wrought iron balcony of the main floor, the French door of the first floor and the wide viewing glass wall built on top of the building. The concluding section of the façade, in fact, presents a mixtilinear tympanum vault, now heavily damaged, that is connected onto a railing with decorative function. On the tympanum, it is possible to distinguish two round glass openings and a balcony window, which were once used to illuminate the viewing deck that was used by the last owner as a personal reading and meditation room.