Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(off Viale Sant'Antonio; adult/child €4/2; 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sun Jun-Oct, 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm
Nov-May)
Villa Mirabello houses the city's main museum, of which only a modest section
with Roman remnants is open. The villa is accessible through the Giardini Estensi, which
was once a separate property.
Villa Panza
ARCHITECTURE, MUSEUM
( 0332 28 39 60;
www.fondoambiente.it
; Piazza Litta 1; adult/child €8/3, park only €2/free; 10am-6pm Tue-
Sun)
On a rise north of Varese's centre, where the high walls of private residences enclose
narrow, winding lanes, Villa Panza enjoys beautiful views of the Alps from its extensive
gardens. The villa was donated to the nation in 1996 and part of that donation was an in-
triguing art collection, mostly monochrome canvases by American post-WWII artists,
scattered about the opulent rooms and halls of the villa.
One of the finest rooms is the 1830 Salone Impero (Empire Hall), with heavy chandeli-
ers and four canvases by American David Simpson (born 1928). More can be seen in the
outbuildings, which are also used for temporary art exhibitions. The gardens, a combina-
tion of 18th-century Italianate and early-19th-century English style make for a lovely me-
ander before or after the art.
Città Vecchia
(Old Town)
North off Piazza Monte Grappa, the delightful pedestrianised
Corso Matteotti
sig-
nals the western boundary of the tiny old centre, at whose heart rises the baroque
Basilica di
San Vittore
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Piazza San Vittore)
. The interior is a lavish affair, while the exteri-
or is watched over by the muscular, freestanding
Torre Campanaria
(Bell Tower) which dates
from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The surrounding tangle of lanes makes for a pleasant meander, dotted with several eat-
eries and cafes.
HISTORIC QUARTER
Piazza Monte Grappa
Piazza Monte Grappa, on the cusp of the old town, is fascinating for history and architec-
ture buffs. The square was completely remade in grand fascist fashion in 1935. Most ex-
PIAZZA
