| Villa Farragiana | |
|---|---|
 1890 xylography of the villa | |
 Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| General information | |
| Location | Meina, Italy |
| Coordinates | 45°46′55″N8°32′28″E / 45.78207°N 8.54108°E |
The Villa Farragiana a Meina is a 19th-century Neoclassical-style rural palace located on the shores of Lago Maggiore, between the towns of Meina and Arona in the Province of Novara, region of Piedmont, Italy. This villa differs from the Villa Faraggiana at Albissola Marina in the Province of Savona.
Construction of the villa began in 1855 by Alessandro Farragiana, based on designs by Antonio Bussero. In the past, the villa and the grounds housed an eclectic collection of live and stuffed animals collected by Alessandro the younger, son of the former Alessandro's son, Italian senator Raffaello Faraggiana. [1] These exhibits are now displayed at the Museum di Storia Naturale Faraggiana Ferrandi (Faraggiana Ferrandi Museum of Natural History) in Novara.
In 1949, the building was donated by the remnants of the family to the monastic order of Poverelle from Bergamo. The nuns use the site as an orphanage and hospice.
The classic facade faces the lake: the centre has a protruding collonaded portico with a balcony and a grand wide staircase. Below, adjacent to the street, are gates with crouching lion statues on pillars. Above the windows are eleven medallions with reliefs of illustrious Italians sculpted by Giosuè Argenti. The tympanum has an allegorical depiction of Fame. The villa is surrounded by ample gardens with exotic flora. [2]
Lake Maggiore or Verbano is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest lake in Italy and the largest in southern Switzerland. The lake and its shoreline are divided between the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino. Located halfway between Lake Orta and Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore extends for about 64 kilometres between Locarno and Arona.
Verbania is the most populous comune (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about 91 km (57 mi) north-west of Milan and about 40 km (25 mi) from Locarno in Switzerland. It had a population of 30,827 at 1 January 2017.
Varallo Sesia, pronunciation (Vhuh-rahl-loh) commonly known as Varallo, is a comune and town in the province of Vercelli in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is situated in Valsesia, at 450 metres (1,480 ft) above sea level and some 66 kilometres (41 mi) north-northeast of Vercelli and 55 kilometres (34 mi) northwest of Novara.
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin and from Genoa to Switzerland. Novara lies between the streams Agogna and Terdoppio in northeastern Piedmont, 50 km (31 mi) from Milan and 95 km (59 mi) from Turin. It is only 15 km (9.3 mi) distant from the river Ticino, which marks the border with Lombardy region.
Colazza is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Turin and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Novara. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 443 and an area of 3.1 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi).
Fontaneto d'Agogna is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 kilometres (56 mi) northeast of Turin and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Novara. It takes its name from the Agogna stream.
Ghemme is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located on the river Sesia about 80 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Turin and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Novara.
Invorio is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Turin and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of Novara. Invorio borders the following municipalities: Ameno, Arona, Bolzano Novarese, Borgomanero, Briga Novarese, Colazza, Gattico-Veruno, Gozzano, Meina, and Paruzzaro.
Lesa is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) northeast of Turin and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Novara.
Meina is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 77 kilometres (48 mi) northwest of Milan, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Turin and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Novara, on the southern area of Lake Maggiore.
Nebbiuno is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Turin and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Novara. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,709 and an area of 8.2 square kilometres (3.2 sq mi).
Pisano is a small town (municipality) in the Province of Novara in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Turin and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Novara.
Ranco is a comune (municipality) on the shore of Lago Maggiore in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northwest of Milan and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Varese. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,188 and an area of 6.3 square kilometres (2.4 sq mi).
Alessandro Antonelli was an Italian architect of the 19th century. His most famous works are the Mole Antonelliana in Turin and both the Novara Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Gaudenzio in Novara.
The Faraggiana Ferrandi Natural History Museum is a biological and zoological collection, most of which was collected in the 19th century, and is located in via Gaudenzio Ferrari, of the city of Novara, Piedmont, Italy.
Santa Maria Assunta is an 18th-century Roman Catholic parish church in Via alla chiesa of the Frazione Ghevio outside the town of Meina, in the Province of Novara, region of Piedmont, Italy.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Novara in the Piedmont region of Italy.
The Visconti Castle of Massino is a medieval castle located on the Vergante hills in the municipality of Massino Visconti, Province of Novara, Piedmont, northern Italy. Since the 12th century it has been a possession and one of the preferred residences of the Visconti of Milan. At that time it was frequented by the family ancestor of the lords and dukes of Milan. Afterwards its property was transferred to other collateral branches of the lineage, from the initial Visconti di Massino to the current Visconti di San Vito.
Alessandro Canelli is an Italian politician.
Media related to Villa Farragiana, Meina at Wikimedia Commons