Set within a fairy tale garden, this lovely neoclassical eighteenth century villa on Lake Como in Italy was recently restored after a chequered history. Aristocratic in its origins, it gradually declined, going through several owners, partitioned into apartments, and then abandoned after World War II. But its lowest point would have to be in the 1980s, when it was purchased by a company that proceeded to tear out all the original marble fireplaces and windows, carpeted over the floors and did all it could to erase the character of the villa. Happily its new owner was keen to recapture its original spirit, while updating it for modern living, too — the marble fireplaces have returned. More here on Marie Claire Maison.
(photography by stefania giorgi)