Summer residence and inspiration source for Manzoni to write The Betrothed. Villa Manzoni now is a house museum.
Villa Manzoni is very close to Lecco downtown and belonged to Manzoni family from 1615 until 1818, when the writer Alessandro Manzoni sold it to Scola family, who transferred the property to the Municipality of Lecco in sixties.
Villa Manzoni is built around a portico courtyard and has a typical Neoclassic structure, with a façade decorated with sandstone moldings. On the right side there is a park, nowadays smaller the original one, cultivated with mulberries, used to breed silkworms.
This villa was the summer residence for the young Manzoni who was used to spend his summer time here. He was impressed by the beautiful nature environment characterizing Lecco: its marvelous lake surrounded by mountains and Adda River. A scenario he chose to set his masterpiece The Betrothed, the troubled love story between the young Lucia and Renzo.
Nowadays Villa Manzoni is a house museum. With an unique ticket you may visit:
Ground floor – Manzonian Museum hosting manuscripts and memorabilia of Alessandro Manzoni’s life and works, and the original furnishings belonged to the writer.
First floor – Civic Art Gallery hosting a selection of artwork belonging to artistic collection of Civic Museums of Lecco. You can admire 400 paintings and 2000 engravings.
Villa Manzoni belongs to Si.M.U.L., the museum system of Lecco, and thanks to the cumulative ticket you can visit also Palazzo delle Paure with the Osservatorio Alpinistico Lecchese (Lecco Mountaineering Observatory) and the three museums hosted at Palazzo Belgiojoso.
Time
- from Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 – 18:00
- Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
- closed on Monday, except on Monday after Easter
Rates
Cumulative ticket to visit: Villa Manzoni, Palazzo Belgiojoso and Palazzo delle Paure – Validity: 30 days from ticket’s date
- Full price: € 14,00
- Reduced: € 8,00
- Special reduction: € 4
Single ticket for Villa Manzoni and the Civic Art Gallery:
- Full price: € 6,00
- Reduced: € 4,00
- Special reduction: € 2
Reduced price is for:
- citizens resident in Lecco
- groups of more than 8 persons
- person over 6 to 18 years and over 65 years
- University student with the University Student Card)
- members of the Associations under signed agreement with the Municipality of Lecco
- FAi and TCI member with valid card
- visitors if the museum is partially visitable
Special reduction for:
- shows organized in collaboration with other Municipality’s services
Free entrance for:
- 1 chaperon every 15 persons
- disables and relevant helper
- kids to 6 years
- students attending educational activities organized by Si.M.U.L.
- officials of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and ones of Local Museums
- International Council of Museum in compliance with annual fee payment
- owners of valid Card Musei Lombardia and Piemonte
- opening of shows or other events
Villa Manzoni Via Don Guanella, 1 – 23900 Lecco – Italy
