Villa Ottolini-Tovaglieri, Liberty style villa in Busto Arsizio, Italy

Villa Ottolini-Tovaglieri is a city-palace villa built in 1903 to a design by Camillo Crespi Balbi, rising three floors above a basement of cellars. The raised ground floor sits on a plinth of large squared stone blocks and is clad in roughly squared blocks laid in rows of decreasing thickness. Above a high string course, the second and third floors are faced with small split stone blocks, and white stone cornerstones frame the angles.

The building was designed in 1903 by architect Camillo Crespi Balbi and belonged to Enrico Ottolini, son of a local cotton mill owner. This connection to the region's industry reflects the prosperity that enabled the construction of such prestigious residences in the early 1900s.

The interior showcases early 1900s design with colorful tiled floors, wall paintings, and decorated ceilings with exposed wooden beams. This decoration gives the rooms a sense of craftsmanship and refinement typical of that era.

The villa stands at the northern edge of the old town, a short walk from the church of San Michele, and now houses the city's culture department. The garden around it is very small, so the building reads as a city palace rather than a country estate. Visitors should check with the department for access to the interiors.

The eastern gate displays intricate wrought iron work by master craftsman Alessandro Mazzucotelli featuring leaf and horse chestnut motifs. This detail exemplifies the wealth and craftsmanship quality invested in even the smallest architectural elements of the residence.