Its square panoramic tower rises along Via Giacomo Scalini, just steps from the path that climbs to the Volta Lighthouse: Villa Farneti is one of the most photographed landmarks for anyone walking through Brunate’s historic centre.
Built right after the First World War, the villa belongs to the last great season of Art Nouveau in Brunate, the period in which decorative elegance was beginning to give way to more essential volumes, without giving up scenographic elements such as the little tower that still sets it apart along the village’s skyline today.
Continuing along the same Via delle Baite one also comes across Villa Elisi, a residence with a more melancholy fate: it was designed by the celebrated futurist architect Antonio Sant’Elia, who introduced frescoes there inspired by Gustav Klimt, sadly lost over time. A small forgotten chapter that makes the walk among Brunate’s villas even more interesting for anyone who loves uncovering the stories behind the facades, before reaching, a little further up, the 29-metre-tall octagonal lighthouse that offers one of the most spectacular views over the lake below.