Villa Margon: harmony and art of the Italian Rinascimento

The Villa was built during the XVI century and it is one of the most beautiful noble dwellings of the Alps.  The Villa is located nearby Trento at the foot of Monte Bondone. It was built during the XVI century for want of the Venetian family Basso. After them, the Villa was owned by different old and noble families, among which: Fugger, Lodron, Lupi and Salvadori (the latter owned it till 1970).
The Lunelli family is its current owner. It is a noble Summer dwelling and vacation destination which is located in a beautiful landscape in a park of 135 hectares. The portico is on the top of elegant arcades inspired by the villas from Verona of the Renaissance. The loggia is frescoed with representations of cities' conquests.
The inside is made of a series of rooms frescoed with important painting cycles that represent precious documents of the paiting of the XVI century in Trentino: these frescos are about the life and deeds of the Emperor Carlos I, which had been probably host of the Villa, the scenes of the Old and New Testaments and a Months' cycle. The decorations were made by artists that worked here between 1556 and 1566. Furthermore, the Villa preserves interesting and precious furniture. Next to the Villa, there are the crenellated house with turret, extended during the XIX century, the Cappelletta della Natività di Maria Vergine (Virgin Mary's Chapel of Nativity), rebuilt in neo-Gothic by the architect Masera in 1867 on the preexistent one of the XVI century, the English garden and its annexed park.

The wide inner rooms are richly furnished and decorated. The central hall presents, in twelve squares, the main military deeds of the Emperor Carlos I (such as the Battle of Pavia with the capture of Francis I in 1515 and the victory against Protestants in 1547). From here, it is possible to reach four side rooms, two are on the left side, the other two on the right side.
On the left side, you can enter a squared room with a panelled ceiling which presents frescoed walls with twleve scenes from the Old Testament (such as the frescos dedicated to the Tower of Babel and the one representing an episode of Saint Joseph's life). The second room displays frescoed squares with scenes from the New Testament (such as the episode of feeding the multitude); in the middle of the room there is a copy of Canova's "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss".
On the right side there is the dining room, which displays its wall decorated with a cycle of frecos representing the twelve months. Surely, the main character of these frescos is the surrounding nature. Then there is the billiard room, which shows a collection of panoramas from the Villa.
The first floor is similar to the ground floor: there is a big central hall with four side rooms.

Bibliography: Michelangelo Lupo - Julian Kliemann, Villa Margone a Trento e il ciclo affrescato delle vittorie di Carlo (Villa Margone in Trento and the frescoed cycle of Carlos I' victories), Trento 1983

Guided tours are in limited numbers.

FOR BOOKINGS:

Azienda per il Turismo Trento, Monte Bondone, Valle dei Laghi

Via Manci, 2 - tel. 0461 216000 (open from Monday to Sunday: 9.00-19.00).

€ 5,00 for the guided visit