Villa Mylius-Vigoni
19th-century villa on Lake Como with art collections and a park, now an Italian-German centre; visited on guided tours on Thursdays.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Villa Vigoni stands at Loveno, above Menaggio, on Lake Como. In 1829 Enrico (Heinrich) Mylius, an entrepreneur and patron born in Frankfurt who had moved to Milan, bought the estate as a wedding gift for his son Giulio. Since Giulio died a few days after the wedding, the father turned the property into a place of remembrance and reflection, enriching it with paintings and sculptures by artists of the time and with a park containing a small temple, expressing values such as humanity, education, spirituality and creativity.
The collections include portraits by Pelagio Palagi, Francesco Hayez and Carlo Bruni, among them likenesses of Goethe and of the Grand Duke Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar, and bear witness to the family’s ties with German and Milanese cultural circles.
The last descendant, Ignazio Vigoni Medici di Marignano, bequeathed the property by will to the Federal Republic of Germany so that it would continue its tradition. Since 1986 the villa has housed the Centro italo-tedesco per il dialogo europeo (Italian-German Centre for European Dialogue), which promotes relations between the two countries through conferences, seminars and meetings. The estate covers about 40 hectares across the municipalities of Menaggio and Plesio and includes more than twenty buildings; the villa and park are visited on guided tours.
Highlights
- Guided tour of the villa and park
- Portraits by Hayez, Palagi and Bruni, including one of Goethe
- Paintings and sculptures of the 19th century
- Park with a small temple above Lake Como
- Seat of the Italian-German Centre for European Dialogue
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni d'arte di Villa Vigoni – Paintings, portraits and sculptures collected by the Mylius-Vigoni family, including works by Palagi, Hayez and Bruni, visible during the guided tour.
- Operated by
- Villa Vigoni – Centro italo-tedesco per il dialogo europeo
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €10students and residents of Menaggio and Plesio |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 14 · Free admission up to and including age 14. |
| Students & apprentices | €10 |
| Groups (20+ people) | €12 per personGroups of at least 20 people; school groups free of charge. |
Prices of the guided tour (2026).
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The village of Loveno lies in the municipality of Menaggio, about 150 metres above Lake Como.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The guided tour lasts about an hour and is held in Italian, German or English, depending on the needs of most participants. Booking is mandatory (also on the same day) by email to reception@villavigoni.eu or by telephone on +39 0344 361245 or 361246. Meeting point: reception of Villa Vigoni, Via Giulio Vigoni 1, Loveno di Menaggio. |
