10 Must-See House Museums in Lombardy

A selection of ten of the most beautiful and interesting house museums in Lombardy, Italy, has been compiled. These villas and noble residences, often perched on lakes, are easily reachable by highway or public transport from Milan. The list includes Villa Fogazzaro Roi on Lake Lugano, where writer Antonio Fogazzaro set his masterpiece 'Piccolo mondo antico'; the Circuit of Milan houses (Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Casa Boschi di Stefano, Villa Necchi Campiglio, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, the latter now hosting Piero della Francesca's 'Polittico di Sant'Agostino'); Villa Panza in Varese, with its contemporary art collection and Italian garden; Fondazione Paolo e Carolina Zani in Franciacorta, featuring works by Canaletto, Tiepolo, and Longhi; Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como, former home of explorer Guido Monzino; the Biblioteca di Philippe Daverio in Milan, housing a large crucifixion by Donato Montorfano; Villa Della Porta Bozzolo in Casalzuigno, with rococo frescoes and a rare Biribissi game; Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio, telling the story of the silk industry; Casa del Podestà in Lonato del Garda, with a library of 50,000 volumes; and Villa Litta Lainate, featuring 16th-century water games inspired by Medici villas.