Folly. A fine word for the unreasonable or capricious, it has, like dastardly or palaver, fallen into (dare we say it?) desuetude. Architectural follies, the built equivalent of the nonsensical, seem an expression of the past too. While contemporary examples such as Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards emerge from time to time, the temples, towers and pavilions that once graced the landscape of great estates are as out-of-time as the great estates themselves. But 45 minutes from Milan, in a forest of oak and chestnut trees, lie a pair of villas – aptly named La Foleia – whose neoclassical profile and small scale echo the whimsy and romance of another era.
Owned by Milanese natives Gemma Richards and Niccoló Rignano, the double villas were built in the 1980s and occupied for many years by a philosopher and a botanist. Separated by a small, human-made lake, one served as the couple’s residence, the other a retreat for reading and writing. Master horticulturist Gianfranco Giustina, who has long maintained the gardens of Lake Maggiore’s Isola Bella and Isola Madre (owned by the aristocratic Borromeo family) was brought on to elevate the natural beauty of the property.
When a family alerted Niccoló that La Foleia was for sale, neither he nor Gemma were sure it was for them. After working and traveling around the world, the two had returned to their hometown and were happy in Milan, where they got into the hospitality business with a roster of vacation properties. “But once we saw the photos, we knew we should definitely go take a look,” admits Gemma. The former owners were now nonagenarians and had not been able to keep the villas or garden up as they once had.
“Even though it was really run down and we were seeing it on a cold, gray winter day,” continues Gemma, “the atmosphere was just so magical.”
Once they acquired La Foleia, the couple set about transforming the Villa Ottagonale (where the philosopher sat with his books and deep thoughts) into a second usable residence with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen. While freshening up the Villa Padiglione across the water, they discovered fanciful frescoes that had been hidden for years behind bookcases. When it came to furnishing the revived buildings, Gemma and Niccoló opted for comfortable pieces of a traditional cast, most of which they purchased at the flea markets of the Piedmont. “These houses had such great character we didn’t want to put any modern, new elements inside,” shares Gemma. “We really wanted to maintain their energy and soul and integrate objects and furnishings that had been loved and used in the past.” When too well-loved, they gave their finds some TLC, such as reupholstering a Duchesse en Bateau chaise lounge with Pierre Frey fabric.
Luckily, the couple was able to entice Giustina to return and restore the garden he had so beautifully orchestrated years before. Today, lotuses and water lilies adorn the spring-fed lake, and cypresses and fruit trees form an artful frame around this unique compound. Dragonflies zip through the air by day, and come evening, herons alight. When the last of the sun forms a fractured mosaic on the water and a glass of wine brings gentle relaxation, one might believe that life could always be so. It is folly, of course, but what’s a little madness now and then?
Photography by Monica Spezia.
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