Villa Gavotti, Baroque villa in Albisola Superiore, Italy.

Villa Gavotti is a three-story Baroque residence in Albisola Superiore with terraces extending around its sides, creating open spaces between the building and the surrounding garden. The layout connects the interior rooms to outdoor areas through decorated marble staircases that descend toward water basins.

The building, called Cà Grande, is cited as the birthplace of Pope Julius II. Francesco Maria della Rovere inherited it in 1744 from his father Clemente, and after being elected Doge of the Republic of Genoa on 29 January 1765 he immediately ordered a complete restoration costing 100,000 zecchini. After his death the villa passed within a few years to Luigi Gavotti, a family related to the Della Rovere, whose descendants still own it.

The three ground-floor rooms under the north terrace are named Spring, Summer and Autumn, stuccoed in 1760 by the Milanese Porta brothers. In Spring, plants sprout from the capitals like vases; Summer shows putti harvesting wheat; Autumn is covered with grape vines around the windows. A fourth room beneath the south terrace imitates a grotto with corals, shells and stalactites from the Bergeggi cave.

Access to the villa is limited to special occasions and organized visits arranged through the Albisola Tourism Office and the FAI Savona Delegation. Visitors should contact local tourism services in advance to find out when guided visits are available.

The garden's four fountains are matched by a fourth decorated room beneath the southern terrace, shaped like a grotto and adorned with corals, shells and stalactites brought from the nearby Bergeggi cave. Napoleon's armies later stripped the corals, which were rebuilt in stucco.