Casino del Ferlaro, Neoclassical villa in the Boschi di Carrega park, Collecchio, Italy.
Casino del Ferlaro is a neoclassical villa in the Boschi di Carrega natural park, on the municipal territory of Collecchio near Sala Baganza. Its plastered main block has a rectangular plan with two different entrance facades, each divided into a three-storey central section and two two-storey wings. A lower porticoed wing extends west and ends in the chapel; the symmetrical east wing was never built.
The villa was constructed between 1828 and 1831 by architect Paolo Gazola under commission from Maria Luisa d'Asburgo-Lorena. It emerged during an era when wealthy noble families used such estates to display their power and resources.
The villa was built for Albertina and Wilhelm Albrecht of Montenuovo, the children of Duchess Marie-Louise and Adam Albert von Neipperg. Its name comes from the Ferlaro estate, bought by the duchess in 1827 from the heirs of Pietro Fedolfi. The adjoining chapel, rebuilt in 1783 by Antonio Fedolfi, was rededicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie.
The villa stands in the Boschi di Carrega regional park, on Via Monte Coppe Sotto 2 in Collecchio but close to Sala Baganza. A monumental avenue flanked by cedars runs west from the villa to the Casino dei Boschi. The building was later adapted for ceremonies, fashion shows and events, but in 2016 it was again offered for sale, so access is not guaranteed.
The villa's west wing was originally a single-storey portico; between 1855 and 1859 it was raised by one floor to house the summer dormitory of the Ursuline boarding school students. The symmetrical east wing planned in the original design was never built.
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