Kitchen Villa in Milan

Originally part of an episcopal benefice, the property became a private residence in the seventeenth century and changed hands several times until it was purchased by the De Ponti family in 1865. The De Pontis’ business was textiles and they built a spinning mill in the Italian Renaissance gardens, which was then converted into a metal workshop during the interwar period.

Giuseppina De Ponti lived here, an independent spirit of the early 1900s. She was the first woman in Italy to obtain a driving license and a great connoisseur of fashion: she imported fine British-made fabrics and established a luxury dressmaking workshop with outlets in several Italian cities, frequented the Paris fashion shows and travelled the world.

Inside the villa, it seems time has stood still. The veranda, where cocktails are served, leads into a small dining room which in turn gives onto the main dining room and the sitting room used for after-dinner drinks, heated by an open fire in the imposing hearth.

An exclusive lunch or dinner is conceived and prepared for the occasion by the resident chef.

• Exclusive use of the historic villa and Renaissance garden
• Cocktail and lunch/dinner
• Personal chef
• ‘Live like a local’ experience

For information, reservations or special requests on routes dedicated to the city of Milan by Viaggi di Architettura.

Ph. Marco Curatolo.