Hidden among chestnut woods at the foot of the Como Prealps, Villa Greppi holds the memory of an enlightened patron: it was the home of Antonio Greppi, protector of Metastasio and Goldoni, in a corner of Albese con Cassano that few visitors expect to find so rich in history.
It stands near the Cosia stream, in a secluded position that has preserved its intimate character over the centuries. The current building was rebuilt at the end of the nineteenth century to a design by architect Emilio Alemagna, who gave it its present neo-rococo appearance: an architectural gem wrapped in an English-style garden where shaded avenues and hidden corners still convey a suspended, romantic atmosphere today.
Privately owned and not open to visitors inside, Villa Greppi can be glimpsed through the vegetation along the village’s small streets, and it is precisely this partial concealment that makes it one of the most evocative discoveries for anyone who loves exploring the lesser-known corners of the Como highlands, a land of noble villas often overlooked by the lake’s major itineraries.