A monumental neoclassical villa, designed by Piermarini, stands in the heart of the city of Desio, in the province of Monza and Brianza.
It is Villa Cusani Tittoni Traversi, one of the most beautiful villas of delight in Lombardy, now home to the Scalvini Museum.
Constructed in the late 18th century by the Cusani family, Villa Cusani Tittoni Traversi bears the signature of the celebrated architect Piermarini, a genius of Italian neoclassicism. Surrounding the villa is a large English garden designed by Antonio Villoresi.
Because of too many debts, in 1817 the villa was sold to Giovanni Battista Traversi. A number of interior restorations by architect Pelagio Pelagi date from this period, transforming it into a perfect example of an early 19th-century Lombard upper middle-class mansion.
When the villa passed to the Tittoni family in the early 20th century, architect Luca Beltrami added the monumental staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper floors.
After World War I, the Villa Cusani Tittoni Traversi went through a period of decline, until in the 1970s, the City of Desio purchased the park and villa, giving it new life.
Inside today is housed the Scalvini Museum: a collection of 36 sculptures, 16 charcoal drawings and some engravings made by Milanese artist Giueppe Scalvini, donated to the city of Desio. The permanent exhibition is flanked by temporary exhibitions featuring works by artists of the 20th century.
The history of Villa Cusani Tittoni Traversi is more than two centuries long and can be retraced thanks to the guided tours organized inside the villa, which today, together with the park, hosts exhibitions, ceremonies and music festivals.
Info on guided tours in the dedicated page
