Villa Alceo

Room 1
Room 1
Room 1

VILLA ALCEO

Villa Alceo is a historical villa located in Viggiù, a picturesque village in the province of  Varese, just one hour away from Milan, 25 minutes from Como, Varese and Lugano.
Villa Alceo features a large park of 11000 sqm where you will find a peaceful environment adorned by statues, fountains and porphyry paths.

The Villa has been transformed into a boutique hotel in 2016 while respecting the style of its times and nowadays feature 8 unique rooms and suites where you can live a peaceful luxury experience.

HISTORY

Villa Alceo was built in 1870 by the Canto Family, a noble family from Milan. The name Alceo comes from a Greek lyrical poet, who was famous because of his poems were played by the Lira, a Greek instrument.
The Canto Family owned the Villa for almost 100 years. In fact, during that time the property was also named Villa Canto. The old generations from Viggiù still remember it this way.

From 1922 the Canto Family invited Benito Mussolini to Villa Alceo. The Dux was a very good friend of Alberto Canto. During that time the owners gave a Suite, now named Suite Alceo, to Mussolini, where you can still find the bed where he used to sleep. From 1922 to 1930 Mussolini and Alberto Canto were very close friends and the Villa hosted many official ceremonies and exhibitions.

After Marcello Canto’s death in 1970, the Villa was sold to the Speroni Family, a family of land entrepreneurs from Milan who were coming during summer to spend their holidays. Lastly in 1990 the Villa was sold to the Golferinis who are the owners today.

In 2016 Villa Alceo was finally opened as a boutique hotel and it is managed by Bruno

THE PARK

A private park of 4,5 hecateres adorned by statues and trails made from the precious porphyry stones of Cuasso al Monte, centenary trees including a Lebanese Cider of 500 years and an ancient Sequoia of 300 years, a collection of roses including Cuban ones, white hydrangeas, and a veggie garden where farm grown fruits and vegetables are daily served to our guests.

THE FARM

At the upper side  of the park you will find our ranch with horses where you can experience a trekking in the surroundings even if you are a beginner or horse therapy lesson where you can learn how to interact with a horse by finding a deep connection. The horses I have were saved from the butcher and I have a strong relationship with horses since I was a child so I created this Paradise in the park for them.

Behind you will find our Chicken house, a real Baba Yaga house with chicken legs where a family of chicken live and  produce fresh eggs everyday. All you will need to do is to open the magical drawer and ask me how you want your eggs to be cooked.

A family of Saanen and Tibetan goats can be found on the eastern side of the property and in the upper park you can find wildlife such as deers, pheasant and wild-boars. You will also find pheasants and other birds.

In Spring and summer you will also find my veggie garden with onions, garlic, salads, tomatoes, potatoes and more. You can stay for dinner and enjoy the freshness of all my farm-grown products.

Gastronomy

Villa Alceo features a dining service in the evening and during events provided by external caterings. These caterings cook and produce the food in their laboratory in order to comply with HACCP standards.  Write us an email to find out offers and prices. 

Private art collection

Villa Alceo features a precious collection of nearly one hundred paintings collected throughout the years by Sergio and Anastasia Golferini. The collection is mainly about Soviet painters of St. Petersburg such as Nathalia Goncharova, Felix Volosenkov, Viacheslav Mikhailov, Valery Lukka,  to name a few.

Ask for a private tour, I will be happy to tell you the history and to show you our catalogue.

THE HALLWAYS

Once you enter the villa it will be like being in a stopped-in-time ambiance. The hallways feature Belle Epoque and liberty ceilings, crystal chandeliers, marble statues and a collection of 70 Russian paintings.
The big staircases will bring you to the 6 different suites, all decorated differently with paintings and antiques. The 4 hallways and dining rooms are ideal for your celebration or business meeting and dinner. Each hallway can accommodate up to 50 seated guests. The Villa also rents out beamers and wide screens and can create any kind of setup you would like to have.

THE SPA

Opening 2024

Once you reach the high part of the park you will find a breathtaking view over the Alps and over the magnificent historical village of Viggiù. It was in this place where Alessandro Manzoni took some of his inspiration for the novel of Promessi Sposi. On this spot, you will experience a beautiful infinity pool with jacuzzi and chaises-longues  which will make you relax. A steam Hammam and a Russian sauna will await you before having a nice massage.

THE PAVILLON

OPENING 2022

This Love Temple made of columns is the historical orangerie of the villa. Nowadays it has been turned into a Greenhouse ideal for events and celebrations.

Capacity 200 sq. meters

Capacity seated guests at round tables: 100

Capacity seated guests agt one rectangular table: 70