Secluded in the heart of an elegant, peaceful part of central Milan, Villa Necchi Campiglio was designed in the early 1930s by the architect Piero Portaluppi at the behest of sisters Nedda and Gigina Necchi and Gigina’s husband Angelo Campiglio, who embodied the cultured Lombard upper-middle class and were very much in synch with their time.

The building, nestling in an enchanted garden complete with tennis court, now a space for private events, and swimming pool (amongst the earliest such facilities in a domestic context in Milan), is characterised by generously proportioned, linear volumes; while the first floor served as a prestigious reception area, with the magnificent veranda overlooking the greenery, the upper floor played host to the bedrooms. These spaces were conceived for people who were hard-working but also capable of savouring their free time in the company of guests and friends, even in ways that were rather unconventional for that period – this explains the presence of the screening room and the gymnasium. Here, innovation was translated into both comfort and efficiency, as evinced by the lifts, dumbwaiters, internal intercoms, reinforced sliding doors and walled cellars. All of these luxurious, modern features made the villa one of the iconic residences of the period.

Villa donated to FAI by Gigina Necchi Campiglio and Nedda Necchi in 2001. Alighiero and Emilietta de’ Micheli collection donated to FAI in 1995. Claudia Gian Ferrari collection donated to FAI in 2009.