Overview

One of the rare Italian examples of an English house and garden, this perfectly conserved estate lies in the Val Polcevera, on the left banks of the Torrente Secca, in the little Rio Comago valley. It was built in 1850 by C. Cusani, the Lombard landscape architect, as a country residence for the Genovese nobleman Orso Serra. The neogothic Tudor house has a three peaked facade, high chimney stacks and bow-windows. The romantic English park features woods, lakes with water games, the essential viewpoints and gives an overall impression of a period garden, down to the rare botanic plants. Among the species of tree, there are sequoias, cypresses, beech trees, Lebanese cedars and horse chestnuts. The estate remained the property of the Serra family until 1938, when it was handed over to the local council, who converted it into a public park, which is now revealed in all its original splendor, after a period of recent restoration. Check the website for open hours as they are seasonal.