Villa Litta Modignani, 17th-century rural palace and urban park in northern Milan, Italy.
Villa Litta Modignani is a former noble residence with extensive grounds in northern Milan, now open to the public as a park. The property features lawns, pathways, and varied planted areas spread across a large landscape.
Built in 1687 by Pietro Paolo Corbella, secretary of the Chancellery, the villa passed through the Corbella, d'Adda and Trivulzio families before being acquired by the Taccioli in 1836. In the 1850s Count Girolamo Trivulzio hosted Alessandro Manzoni and Francesco Hayez there. The province took over in 1905 and the comune of Milan in 1927, opening the gardens to the public.
In the mid-1850s Count Gerolamo Trivulzio and his daughter Princess Cristina Trivulzio Belgiojoso made the villa a meeting place for writers and artists, among them Alessandro Manzoni and the painter Francesco Hayez. The name Litta comes from the Litta Modignani family, who owned the property in the 20th century.
The park lies behind and to the west of the villa, with the main entrance now on viale Affori; the original entrance closes a 200-metre avenue of four rows of trees running to via Michele Novaro. The fenced dog area covers 9,600 m², and there are football and basketball-volleyball pitches. The villa itself is closed to visitors; the municipal library occupies its first floor.
A fresco by Giuseppe Nuvolone decorates the stairwell, depicting scenes from the myth of Diana. The interior halls contain landscape paintings by Rosa da Tivoli that showcase the artistic heritage preserved within.
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