Lake Maggiore Mansions: Villa Gianfranco Ferré

For many industrialists and other personalities, often from Milan, they were the symbol of economic success in the 19th century: the residences on Lake Maggiore. To this day, an estate on the popular lake is one of Italy's most sought-after real estate locations for the local and international financial elite. Most of the historic villas were built around the turn of the century and are still used for private or business purposes.

If you drive around the lake with an eye for the mysterious and romantic, you will discover many an unused property that seems to have fallen out of time. Just before the southern entrance to Stresa, one of several former summer residences of the noble Piedmontese family Balbo is located above an embankment. A property of about 1.2 hectares with a picturesque turreted villa in neo-Romanic style, terraced garden, magnificent panoramic view and its own bathing area.

The property is better known today as Villa Gianfranco Ferré - the famous fashion designer from Milan acquired the property in the early 2000s. Here, his new collections were to be presented to selected business partners and customers, and at the same time the two outbuildings were to be developed for private purposes. Various Italian sources have frequently reported Ferré's special attachment to the property and his plans. Immediately after the purchase, the designer had obtained building permits and hired specialized firms to redesign the property. However, the work did not progress beyond an initial phase; with Ferré's death in 2007, public interest disappeared and the property quietly passed into the ownership of several real estate companies.

Listing on realportico.com

Detail view of the villa in the style of neo-romanticism

Ususally worth millions: Lake Maggiore view