From May 24, 2025, FAI will open to the public the completely restored and enhanced Villa Rezzola Garden in Lerici. It is one of the most evocative English gardens in eastern Liguria, overlooking the Golfo dei Poeti.
Villa Rezzola is an ancient historic mansion with a vast park. Documented since the 16th century, it was inhabited by local noble families in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, it was purchased by the English Cochrane family, who renovated the villa according to their taste and transformed the park into a classic English garden. In 1935 it passed to Countess Mara Braida Carnevale, and during World War II it was requisitioned by the army and used as the seat of military command, first by the Italians under the command of Aimone d’Aosta Savoia, then by the Germans under Captain Rudolf Jacobs, a naval captain who later joined the Resistance and died a hero on the heights of Sarzana.
The countess’s daughter, Maria Adele Carnevale (called Pupa), lived in the villa with her husband Piero Miniati, and in 2020 donated it to FAI with the intention that it would be restored, protected and made accessible to all.
FAI accepted this important bequest not only because of the charm of the villa and garden, but also because of their historical and cultural value. Villa Rezzola is a significant example of the British presence in the Gulf of Poets, whose imprint can be found in many of the Riviera’s villas and gardens. Preserving such a garden is not just an aesthetic gesture, but a cultural act: caring for it means handing down a legacy of botanical knowledge, passion, technique, and respect for nature.
The official opening of the Villa Rezzola Garden took place on May 22, 2025, with the participation of numerous authoritiesincluding Marco Magnifico (FAI President), Leonardo Paoletti (Mayor of Lerici), Daniela Bruno (FAI Cultural Director), Alessandro Piana (Vice-President of the Liguria Region), Cristina Bartolini (Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Genoa and La Spezia), and Alessandro Giuli (Minister of Culture), who spoke remotely and said: “An achievement that today allows citizens to enjoy a paradise of rare beauty and beautiful harmony. Which makes us realize how much what some have hitherto considered irreconcilable in its deepest instances, that is, the relationship between the public and the private, is actually part of the whole in preserving the essence of our Italian-ness, the most precious gift of the countless civilizations that have flourished over the millennia on Italian soil, our cultural heritage. Knowing it, caring for it, loving it, as the FAI does, as the Ministry of Culture does, is what makes us aware of who we are and able to orient ourselves in the world in which we live.”
“The inauguration of the Villa Rezzola Garden represents a moment of great pride for our entire community,” said Leonardo Paoletti, mayor of Lerici. “This extraordinary place, returned to the community thanks to the efforts of FAI, is a symbol of beauty, memory and protection of the landscape that characterizes our identity. We are the Golfo dei Poeti, and this place represents that part of our heritage linked to the European grand tours of young scions and artists, especially English ones, who helped build the aura of these places. I also feel compelled to thank Countess Carnevale, who upon her death decided to leave this wonderful residence to the community through FAI. Opening these spaces to the public means offering citizens and visitors a unique experience of harmony between nature, art and history. I thank FAI for believing in the value of this heritage and for collaborating with the Municipality of Lerici in a project that enriches our territory and strengthens its cultural and environmental vocation.”
Villa Rezzola had already been opened to the public on a preliminary basis in 2021, before restoration work began in 2023, thanks to PNRR funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture and also supported by private individuals and companies. Today, with the completion of the construction site, the villa and its park - four hectares in total - are accessible again. Half of the park, which constitutes the garden, has undergone major redevelopment: vegetation, pergola, greenhouse, paths, fountains, stairways and belvedere have been restored, freeing the view of the sea previously obscured by an uncultivated forest. Water systems and night lighting, designed by light designer marionanni, were also renovated.
In addition to the landscaping of the garden, new services have been introduced: a ticket office with bookshop, set up in the garage of the old farmhouse at the entrance to the villa, refurnished in style, and multimedia cultural content such as podcasts and short video stories available online and on interactive monitors.
Villa Rezzola is a rare example of a historic garden. It chronicles the settlement of the English bourgeoisie on the Ligurian Riviera from the 19th century onward, attracted by the mild climate, lush nature, and fame bestowed by poets such as Byron and Shelley. The English brought with them the art of gardening: their gardens, refined and scenic, mixed natural landscapes of romantic taste with the interest in botanical collecting fostered in England by expeditions to the empire’s colonies. Villa Rezzola embodies this tradition: it alternates formal areas-with manicured lawns, hedges, flowerbeds, and pergolas such as the 150-meter-long wisteria one-with more “wild” areas, with paths winding through the woods, adorned with nymphaea, steps and monumental belvederes.
A distinguishing feature of the garden is the presence of functional infrastructure, an expression of the skill of the British: a large greenhouse, an umbrella, a seedbed (which now houses 18 photovoltaic panels) and a water system that captures, collects and distributes water through a dense network of canals, connected to tanks, cisterns and fountains, to make the most of the resource, for irrigation but also ornamental purposes.
With a total investment of about 2,300,000 euros - 2,000,000 of which was funded by the PNRR -, FAI has recovered 1.5 hectares of green space. An additional 1,200,000 euros were allocated for the restoration of the balustrades, stairs and belvederes, the renovation of the entrance house, and the installation of services and security and lighting systems. The numbers tell the extent of the work: 400 meters of arbors recovered, 18 stairways restored, 12 fountains reactivated, more than 8,000 flowers, shrubs and trees planted. The project involved more than 20 professionals-including agronomists and archaeologists-and more than 50 specialized workers over 17 months of work.
An intervention that has returned one of Liguria’s most enchanting gardens to the public. But the journey does not stop here: the FAI is already planning a second intervention that will involve the villa itself, with the restoration of the interiors, decorations, furniture and the inclusion of additional recreational and cultural services, to enrich even more the visiting experience and enhance a heritage of great importance.
The garden of Villa Rezzola is also accessible to people with reduced mobility, thanks to the provision of two mobility aids: an electric wheelchair for independent visits and an electric joelette for accompanied visits even when there are more significant steps and differences in height. In addition, thanks to the Museum for All service of the Associazione L’Abilità Onlus, guides in easy-to-read language and in CAA (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) enable a conscious and autonomous visit for people with intellectual disabilities.
Photo by Davide Marcesini and Isabella Dothel - FAI
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| In Lerici, the restored Villa Rezzola Garden, among the most beautiful English gardens in eastern Liguria, reopens. |
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