As you approach the impressive facade, the exterior alone speaks volumes: each floor distinguished by a different stone - granite, marble, travertine - layered with thoughtful intention. Entering the villa, the entrance sets the tone with effortless drama: rich walnut flooring intricately inlaid with rosewood, a marble staircase that curves with confidence, and a gilded balustrade catching the light just so.
Conceived for entertaining, the ground floor comprises an elegant sequence of salons, dining rooms and studies where antiques sit alongside modernist touches. Around it, embroidered textiles, tapestries, and crystal chandeliers played their part in a quietly theatrical setting. Objects of note included a Napoleonic campaign desk, Ginori porcelain painted in Deco motifs, and countless pieces that felt both storied and surprisingly current. On the villa’s left wing, an open veranda gives way to a winter garden—poised, softly unexpected, and perfectly capturing the home’s balance of restraint and indulgence.
Upstairs, the bedrooms offer a more intimate interpretation of the villa’s character. Each is distinct, yet shares the same devotion to craft and materiality seen throughout the house. Upholstered walls, delicate marquetry, and well-worn bookshelves sit alongside bold light fittings and sculptural furniture. The art collection at Villa Necchi is extensive and deeply personal. Tiepolo and Canaletto sit comfortably alongside De Chirico, Picasso, Fontana, Modigliani, and Matisse. Outside, the gardens continue the villa’s thoughtful narrative. Lush but considered, they frame a tennis court and Milan’s first private swimming pool, each detail a reflection of the family’s forward-thinking lifestyle and love of leisure.
Villa Necchi Campiglio remains one of Milan’s most beguiling spaces. It is not simply a museum or a house frozen in time. It is a place of layers, of lived history, of impeccable design, and of a quiet confidence that doesn’t need to explain itself. It serves as a gentle reminder that timeless design holds its ground with grace.
Villa Necchi Campiglio is a place that continues to offer lessons in elegance, harmony, and a kind of unforced sophistication.
