Villa Sant'Elia, Liberty style villa in Sassari, Italy.
Villa Sant'Elia is a three-story residence in Liberty style with glass-enclosed loggias, curved balconies, and a turret with views across the Sassari landscape. The building now houses the headquarters of the Industrial Association of Northern Sardinia.
Count Gaspare Arborio Mella di Sant'Elia commissioned the villa to celebrate his young Argentine wife Josephine. The Piedmontese architect Giulio di Suni della Planargia designed it in 1911–1912, and it was built between 1911 and 1913. On 13 September 1912 a scaffolding collapsed during construction, killing three workers, including the foreman Ettore Bertola and the 14-year-old Luigi Ferraro. The count died on 23 July 1934; the villa was declared a national monument in 1976.
The name Mimosa comes from the bouquet of mimosa the count gave Josephine before she left by train for Genoa. Before World War II the villa was a meeting place for Sardinian aristocracy. Since 1985 it has housed the Sassari Industrialists' Association, which restored the garden.
The property is located on Via IV Novembre in Sassari and functions as an administrative headquarters. Visitors should note that access may depend on business hours, and contacting ahead is advisable for a proper visit.
The one-hectare park contains stone lions and allegorical statues of Diana connected by arched trellises. These sculptural elements guide visitors toward a garden gazebo that offers a quiet retreat from the surrounding city.
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