Villa Melzi d’Eril was built between 1808 and 1815 by the architect Giocondo Albertolli for Francesco Melzi d’Eril.
Since its construction, the villa has hosted many notable people, such as the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand I, along with his wife Maria Anna of Savoy.
Franz Liszt, composer and virtuoso pianist, was also a frequent visitor of the villa. Some say that it was there he wrote one of his most famous pieces, Dante Symphony, during his stay in the small Arabic-styled temple of the villa.
The splendid view of Lake Como and the beauty of the Villa Melzi gardens and monuments were beautifully described by writer Stendhal in his “Rome, Naples et Florence” diary, and were also evoked in his novel “La Chartreuse de Parme”.
The Melzi dynasty was followed by the Gallarati Scotti family, which still takes care of the villa and its gardens.