Overlooking the hillside east of Sant’Ambrogio, at the foot of the Sacro Monte of Varese, Villa Toeplitz is a place of remarkable architectural and landscape charm. Named after Polish banker Giuseppe Toeplitz, who acquired it in 1914, the villa was transformed from a simple country house into an elegant residence surrounded by nearly eight hectares of parkland.
Must of the design was guided by his wife Edvige, a cultured and well-travelled woman who brought inspirations from India and Kashmir. The result is a harmonious combination of styles; neoclassical structure, Lombard brick warmth and Art Nouveau lightness.
The park is one of the most admired in Varese, combining formal French gardens with Italian influences, an English styled garden, Renaissance glimpses, a forest and a chestnut grove. Water features, a fine example of hydraulic engineering; alternating fountains and cascades along grey marble from Carrara and mosaic channels, add to its scenic allure.
The vegetation follows consistently the park layout, combining lines of cypresses with coniferous patches. The wood’s fauna includes red squirrels and woodpeckers, like the great spotted woodpecker and the green woodpecker.
Villa Toeplitz was also an important centre of cultural life, fed by the multifaceted personality of Edvige Toeplitz; religious and art lover, she made built a small private chapel richly decorated. She was also curious of the sky as much of the earth so she built an astronomical observatory perfectly equipped.
Among the many distinguished guests were: members of the House of Savoy, the Count of Torino, the Agnelli and Falck families, writer Matilde Serao and possibly Gabriele D’Annunzio. Since 1972 the state has belonged to the Municipality of Varese, which made the park accessible to the public. Today, the Villa hosts a campus of the University of Insubria.