Elegant and prestigious villa located in the countryside, in the heart of the Franciacorta between Lake Iseo and Lake Garda, one hour from Milano
The main facade of the building, facing South towards the large basin of Mount Orfano, opens onto the entrance courtyard. The façade is simple, linear but very airy. It is enhanced by two short stairways in sandstone and morainic pebbles, divided by a low wall in Sarnico stone, which lead into the portico that is raised compared to the surrounding courtyard and garden.
In the heart of the Franciacorta vineyards with its renowned cellars (Ca ‘del Bosco, Bellavista etc. .) not far from the suggestive cities of art such as Bergamo, Brescia, Parma, Piacenza, Verona, Mantua, Padua and Venice and from the ski slopes of the Ponte di Legno-Tonale ski area.
The complex compositional scheme of the building can suggest that the construction is the result of several restorations that took place over the centuries.
The building is characterized by a severity of lines and a simplicity of layout, which give the property a tone of elegant austerity typical of the Lombard patrons of the time. Another aesthetically significant element of the building curtain is the decorative use of the Sarnico gray stone, with that crepuscular distinction so characteristic of the Lake Iseo area’s architecture.
Under the porch of the house there are various rooms, interesting for their vaults and for the presence of massive fireplaces from the 17th century. The interiors still retain intact the architectural structures of the seventeenth century. The wooden structure of the attic is well preserved and protected.
The Villa is accessed from a private gate that leads to a large open space, surrounded by flower beds of hydrangeas and roses, in front of the porch of the house with a top view of the vineyard. The private swimming pool (m15x7) is located in the garden at the back of the Villa. The villa is spread over three floors. The premises are elegantly furnished with antiques, bookcases and a piano and equipped with large fireplaces.
On the ground floor, overlooking the porch and the rear garden, there are the large living room, the library, the dining rooms and two sitting rooms / study.
The premises are elegantly furnished with antiques, bookcases and a piano and equipped with large fireplaces.
It is completed by a large kitchen equipped with all dishes, pots, cutlery, glasses and appliances such as dishwashers, toasters, coffee machines etc necessary to prepare any meal for all guests of the house. Finally, a laundry room equipped with washing machine, iron and ironing board, and a service bedroom with its bathroom.
Services included:
For two-weeks stays, change of sheets and towels once a week.
In addition to the vineyard, there are in the property some historic cellars in which the Milesi family has produced and preserved its Franciacorta brut wine over generations.
The rooms and interiors of the palace reveal the layers of the generations that have lived here until today, in a lineage more or less direct. Unlike hotel-like accommodations, one can notice, with some imperfections in order and style, the sedimentation of various generations, often intent on leaving portraits of themselves, not always harmoniously and sometimes for reasons beyond pure aesthetics.
The house is therefore rich in portraits, photographs, and objects belonging to various generations of this family, representative of a typical entrepreneurial bourgeoisie engaged in various activities since the late 1600s, ranging from agriculture (with a rational approach and some transformation processes) to silk mills and eventually cement production. The palace has been inhabited discontinuously, with the family or some of its members moving between here, Lovere on Lake Iseo (now publicly owned), and Milan. During the summer, in wartime or politically turbulent times, the family would leave the city for the countryside, here or on Lake Iseo, thus preserving a pacifist tradition among its members.
This discontinuity in occupying the house has also been reflected in wine production. When the cellar was created in the 18th century, a distant ancestor of the family owned numerous agricultural lands, later sold in subsequent generations due to the urban development of Erbusco and some financial difficulties.
The types of production have evolved over time: from still wine to sparkling wine and eventually grappa, but without reaching the level of development that would later characterize the entire Franciacorta area. The current production, resumed after a twenty-year hiatus, was supposed to adapt to the tightening of hygienic and sanitary regulations (HACCP), which are notoriously strict in Italy. It was thus decided to continue production using the classic method but without adhering to certain requirements that would have led to irreversible modifications (such as several meters of washable wall covering) to a historic place like the cellar.
This choice to preserve these production spaces meant that the product is not marketable and cannot bear the “Franciacorta” label, despite following the same production and quality guidelines. To understand the impact of these regulations, it is worth noting that in Champagne, where the “traditional method” (méthode traditionnelle) originated, almost all the charming cellars would not meet the requirements to produce and sell if they had to follow Italian standards. In Italy, too, many cellars, following these regulations, have begun to resemble more agro- industrial facilities than historic places dedicated to traditional wine production.
Despite this, it was decided to continue production in smaller quantities and with a more artisanal approach, to preserve the historical and architectural structure of the cellar. Hygiene is guaranteed by following the “good father of the family” standards, a traditional expression in Italian agricultural law, and quality is ensured by the classic method and the expertise of the winemaker Moris Rossi. All production is overseen by Mauro Mazzola, our cellar master, who will guide guests through the house, the rooms, and, naturally, the cellar, where, as the product cannot legally be sold, generous tastings will be offered.
In the cellar or fridge, there will be a wide selection of Franciacorta, red and white wines, with the best products of the Franciacorta region available for the guests’ complimentary use.
On the first floor of the Villa there is the sleeping area consisting of three double bedrooms and two twin bedrooms with separate beds. Among these 5 bedrooms, two are equipped with an adjoining sitting room with an additional sofa bed, reaching a total of 12 beds.
There are 4 bathrooms which are accessed from the corridors.
On the second floor there are another 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, reaching a total of 8 beds.
All rooms and bathrooms are complete with linen.
Via Verdi 54 Erbusco BS - Italy
45.5990022, 9.9690099
info@palazzomilesi.it
