VILLA FAGGIO E TASSO (Beech and yew Villa)
Positioned just above the small lake marina of Reno Riva, this XX century Bauhaus-style family mansion is nestled within a lush 10.000 sq meters wide private landscaped garden; with far reaching mountain and lake views to enjoy from both floors. Inside, the villa is made for laid back entertaining; with two large and inviting sitting rooms to enjoy, both featuring a beautiful scenic bay window. Each sitting room, which displays stylish modernist furniture and an open fireplace, allows guests to relax and entertain.
A separate dining area also features a flat screen TV (with international SAT channels) and is connected with a spacious separate family kitchen with garden access where a large stone table and a bbq set are available. All the must-have appliances for easy going self-catering stays are provided, including fridge and freezer, a cooker hob, oven, electric kettle, toaster, coffee machine, dishwasher and washing machine.
The villa also benefits from 3 bedrooms, comprising 2 double bedrooms and a third with twin beds overlooking the garden. The large studio on the 2nd floor, with terrace access, offers further sleeping opportunities with a single bed.
Two bathrooms (each fitted with a bath tub) on the second floor, a third one on the first floor complete the layout of this attractive and comfortable home. WiFi is available all over the building.
Outside, a sunny terrace with folding lounge chairs invites groups to soak up some sun with a drink, whilst, in the partial shade, a stone-build dining area sets the scene for romantic alfresco feasts. The beautiful private garden is complemented by a small 2x4 meters textile swimming pool and private parking for up to 4 cars. The building is surrounded by the woods while you can easily reach the main road. From its peaceful setting, the detached 2-storey villa places guests at a 3 minutes’ walk from the nearest local eateries and at 8 minutes’ hillside drive from Arolo and Cerro beaches. The marina and the lakeside restaurant, bar and amenities of Reno Riva can be reached within 5 minutes walk. The famous UNESCO world heritage site of Santa Caterina del Sasso is just 2 minutes’ drive (or 10 minutes forest walk away). There, from April to the end of September regular ferry boats carry you to the opposite lake shore. The ferry links and resort amenities of Laveno-Mombello are reachable by car in just 10 minutes.
Key Features • Beautifully positioned lake view villa • Free WiFi + SAT TV (Italian and international channels) • Boasts plenty of internal space • Two sitting rooms • Separate Dining area + separate Kitchen • Versatile sleeping accommodation for 7 • A cot and a young children’s bed • high chair Lush private garden • Alfresco dining area • Private parking for 4 cars • Car recommended
Sleeping Bedroom 1: A large double bedroom with wardrobe and a wide lake view.
Bedroom 2: A double bedroom with wardrobe overlooking the garden
Bedroom 3: Twin bed room, wardrobe garden view
Bedroom 4: A flexible large room featuring a single bed, wardrobe & lake view terrace
Bathrooms Bathroom 1: At the first floor, a bathroom with wash basin & WC
Bathroom 2: An en suite bathroom with bath tub, shower, wash basin, WC & bidet
Bathroom 3: A bathroom with bath tub, shower, wash basin, WC & bidet
Additional features: • Fireplace • Central heating • Washing machine • Iron + ironing board • Hairdryer • 4 adult and 1 children bikes
Outdoors: • Stone-built alfresco dining • a set 6 garden lounge chairs • 2 deck chairs • a bench and 2 metal tables
Location Situated along ‘Via Verbano’ and perfectly based for sightseeng, the peaceful hillside setting leads in a few minutes’ walk to a selection of authentic local restaurants and tavernas. Further down the hill, the amenities of Reno Riva can be found (5 minutes walk away). Nearest beaches and boat rental services are located in Riva, Cerro, Ranco where a lakeside bar and tourist marina await for you. The famous UNESCO world heritage site of Santa Caterina del Sasso is just 2 minutes’ drive (or 10 minutes forest/wood walk away). There, from April to the end of September regular ferry boats carry you to the opposite lake shores. The ferry links and resort amenities of Laveno-Mombello are reachable by car in just 10 minutes.
For those looking to stock up the kitchen cupboards whilst away, nearby Laveno-Mombello (10 minutes’ drive away) offers a host of shops, restaurants and 2 supermarkets. The resort town also offers easy ferry links across the lake to the western shore town of Intra (perfect for reaching the Villa Taranto gardens, the beautiful resort of Stresa and the world-class Borromean Islands). Reno di Leggiuno also offers proximity to the castle fortress and toys and dolls museum of Rocca di Angera, the romantic ruins of Rocca Borromea di Arona, the Lagoni di Mercurago Nature Park and the ancient Sacro Monte di Varese and to the Orta monastery on Lake Orta.
Lake Maggiore is a very family-friendly destination with Safari and Wildlife Parks, the Lake Maggiore Adventure Park and the Ondaland (in Vicolungo) high-tech water park to enjoy, alongside wind surfing, wakeboarding, sailing, diving, tennis courts, horse riding, golf and Italian Alp skiing. Lake Monate, Lake Varese, Lake Comabbio, Lake Orta and Lake Lugano are also within easy driving distance. The closest airports are Milan Malpensa (51 minutes’ drive away) and Lugano Airport (72 minutes’ drive away).
A brief history of Villa Faggio e Tasso
The land where the Villa stands - about 80 meters above the lake level – used, like all the surrounding hills, to be covered by chestnut woods. A little more than a mule-track interconnected the small villages on the eastern shores of Lake Maggiore, while most of the traffic took place along the waterways.
At the end of the XIXth century a group of entrepreneurs from Varese, headed by Mr Tremoli, bought from Mr Stefano Rodari (a common surname in the area well known thanks to the famous writer Gianni Rodari of Omegna (1920-1980), author of children stories and poems) a land of 10,000 square meters including a vast slope of the moraine bordering the Church properties (the actual owner was the Institute for the Sustenance of the Clergy - ISC) that extended around the Hermitage of Santa Caterina. The purpose was to follow the example of neighboring Switzerland and build a Kursaal, a small casino, which would attract clients both from Lombardy and Piedmont. The construction work had to be interrupted due to the First World War. When, in the early 1920s, the heirs of the original owners took over the project they were confronted with the prohibition of gambling, established by the new Fascist government.
The layout of the basement of the villa is consistent with the original destination as can be seen from the iron gate on Verbano road carrying to the covered shed for cars or carriages, the double staircase and the path leading to the vast stone structure on which the impressive building was due to be erected. The balustrade columns that mark the border along the road and the ones in front of the villa are also coeval.
The imposing structure laid abandoned for over three decades and became a playground for Reno children who could perform their most imaginative games in the "Vilùn"(large villa) as they used to call it. It was only towards the end of the 1930s that the land and the structure with its imposing foundations attracted the interest of the Lenharts, an Austrian family living in Milan (on California street). The original layout was changed into that of a comfortable family villa with large reception spaces. Under the guidance of a Viennese architect, by 1940 the villa was completed: large stone walls, door and window frames in travertine marble, a wide bow window both on the first and on the second floor, the furniture designed by the same architect, the marble or wood floors, the dining as well as the bedrooms furniture, the large 15 steps staircase leading to the second floor, the lounge armchairs: many furnishings testify to the time when the villa was built.
Cars access was originally provided from the hill east side with a road that led directly to the porch in the basement.
Subsequently, in 1969, the villa was bought by the couple of Mr Yoshua and Mrs Lotti Cauli, Romanian jews, refugees in Italy since the late 1940s and residing in Milan with a laboratory for processing precious metals. In those years, to allow access to the villa from upstream, a passage permission was agreed with the ISC for the dirt road crossing the wood, an exit on the right of the paved road that leads to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina.
The most recent transfer of ownership took place in 1991 with the acquisition of the villa by the spouses Giuseppe Pitotti and Maria Teresa Scherillo who subsequently acquired a large portion of the surrounding forest.
The current owners have enriched the original furniture with chandeliers and furnishings of the late 1800 and of the late 1930s. The result is a prestigious building, with a strong personality, a cozy, welcoming atmosphere that offers various opportunities for rest and reflection.
From the windows a wide lake view can be enjoyed with the Borromeo islands and, in the background, the snowy peaks of Weissmies (4023 m) and Andolla (3657m) of the Alps mountain range.
Santa Caterina hermitage is only 300 meters away. The large garden is reach of space and flowers. And there is large playground space. You can enjoy a wonderful view and gorgeous sunsets sitting on the terrace.
An elevator from the first to the second floor has recently been added inside the building.
