Cherished and handed down the centuries, sometimes restored and brought back to former glory after long periods of neglect or forever in the hands of the same family which has successfully maintained ownership; still in private hands or generously donated to the general public: a selection of twenty spectacular house-museums, open to the public or visible on request or on the occasion of special events, narrated by those who live in them. They are town houses in which enlightened collectors wanted their collections – prized objets d’art, the fruit of a lifetime’s passion – to be made accessible to all after their passing, so important now to have become not-to-be-missed destinations for the tourist. But there are also, more numerous, private stately homes and villas for displaying social status and overseeing the workings of agricultural estates or enjoying long periods of leisure, delightful buildings set on the inlets of the lake and half-hidden in sheltered gardens, or looking out over lush valleys, sometimes frescoed by renowned artists patronized by their first owners. The common denominator of all these homes is the desire to conserve an artistic heritage that the owners feel responsible for safeguarding and handing down to future generations.

Valerio Villoresi is a chartered accountant and doctor of law, and sits on statutory-auditor and supervisory boards of Italian corporations and multinationals. With his partners at Studio pvc in Milan, he combines the aim of his “socially aware” accountant’s profession with the goals of common benefits for people, bodies and associations. This conviction led to collaboration with the associations of social advancement of “Independent Artists” and “Ville Dimore e Corti Lombarde”. With AdArte he published Lombard Villas and Stately Homes in 2014.

Andrea Livio Volpato comes from Milan and graduated in Architecture in 1993. Over the years, photography has grown gradually from a hobby to a constant companion and he has entered his work for numerous exhibitions and competitions, always with great enthusiasm and encouraging results: wins, mentions, reviews and publications. He works as a designer, model-maker and photographer. With AdArte (Turin) he published Lombard Villas and Stately Homes in 2014.