Villa Necchi Campiglio

Villa Necchi Campiglio is a historic residence (house museum) located at via Mozart, 14, Milan. It was built between 1932 and 1935 as an independent single-family house designed by Piero Portaluppi, an important Milanese Rationalist architect, and is surrounded by a large private garden with a tennis court and swimming pool. This was the second swimming pool ever to be built in Milan after the municipal one, and the first to be built on private land.

Among the personalities who were hosted there were Henry of Hesse, set designer for the Teatro alla Scala, who was housed during his stays in a room called the Prince's Room in his honor. There was also the Princess' Chamber, reserved for Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, a good friend of the Necchi sisters.

History
The region where the villa is situated, although adjacent to the city center, was predominantly occupied by private gardens and orchards by the end of the 19th century. Its construction commenced in 1890–92 with the establishment of the Institute for the Blind, and continued following the inauguration of new streets – Mozart, Serbelloni, and Barozzi – subsequent to a 1907 agreement between the Milan Municipality and Countess Antonietta Sola-Busca, owner of the Serbelloni palace and garden. The areas around Via Mozart, which bisected the Serbelloni garden and were entirely verdant, began to be developed from 1926 according to a subdivision plan formulated by architect Aldo Andreani.

This central yet serene and tree-lined area attracted Angelo Campiglio and the Necchi sisters, originally from Pavia, who sought a residence in Milan. After acquiring the land around 1930, the architectural design of the new home was entrusted to Piero Portaluppi, and its construction took place between 1932 and 1935 by the Gadola Firm. The house was envisioned as an elegant yet comfortable dwelling, modern in both style and facilities, as evidenced by the inclusion of an elevator, a dumbwaiter, intercoms and telephones, and a heated swimming pool.

Beginning in 1938, and for the next twenty years, the Necchi Campiglio family engaged architect Tomaso Buzzi to redesign the exterior and subsequently the furnishings of some rooms in a style inspired by 18th-century art, which was softer and more elaborate compared to the original minimalism of Portaluppi's spaces. During World War II, the family evacuated to their villa in Barasso, Varese, and their Milanese home was requisitioned, becoming the headquarters-residence of Alessandro Pavolini. After the fall of the Salò Republic, it was occupied by the British and later served as the residence of the Dutch consul; the family regained possession after a few years.

Angelo Campiglio passed away in 1984; sisters Nedda and Gigina died in 1993 and 2001, respectively. Without heirs, the sisters were concerned with finding a suitable purpose for the house, ultimately bequeathing it to FAI (Italian Environmental Fund). The villa underwent restoration under the direction of architect Piero Castellini. The works required over three years and an expenditure of approximately six million Euros. Upon completion, the villa was opened to the public in May 2008.

Necchi Family
The owners were prominent members of the cultured Lombard industrial bourgeoisie, and their lifestyle is reflected in the building, designed and constructed without budget constraints, showcasing the emerging architectural style (Italian Rationalism), the spacious and bright rooms, the furnishings, decorative arts, and the advanced and daring craftsmanship of the artifacts.

The Necchi Campiglio family – specifically sisters Gigina (1901–2001) and Nedda Necchi (1900–1993), and Angelo Campiglio (1891–1984), Gigina's husband – were active in entrepreneurship between the 1920s and late 1960s, particularly in the production of enameled cast iron and sewing machines (the renowned Necchi brand).

In popular culture
In 2009, Luca Guadagnino film I Am Love was filmed at the villa. The movie, which narrates a fictional story, features the wealthy Milanese Recchi family living in the mansion, a name evidently inspired by the villa's original owners. The house also features in Ridley Scott 2021 film House of Gucci.