Villa Tesio, Horse breeding estate in Dormelletto, Italy.

Villa Tesio stands in Dormelletto, on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, inside the Canneti di Dormelletto nature reserve. A white gate carries two circular shields with the cross of Saint Andrew, emblem of the stables; a double row of cypresses leads to the three-storey building, whose lake-facing first floor has a long wooden balcony with diamond motifs on serizzo stone brackets.

Federico Tesio founded this estate in 1898, converting local farmhouses into stables to create one of Italy's largest horse breeding complexes. The scientific breeding methods he developed here would influence modern horse breeding practices across Europe.

The property maintains the tradition of selective horse breeding through scientific methods introduced by Federico Tesio in the early 1900s. Visitors can observe how the land and structures still reflect these breeding practices today.

The estate is accessible by car via the A26 highway exit at Castelletto Ticino or by train to Dormelletto station with public parking available nearby. Visits are possible year-round, though spring and fall months offer the best conditions for observing horses grazing in the pastures.

The guest register of Villa Tesio in the first sixty years of the twentieth century lists the Duke of Aosta, Duchess Elena, the Count of Paris and the Aga Khan. The white gate carries two circular shields with the cross of Saint Andrew, the emblem of Tesio's stables.