Original frescoes are the draw at this 16th-century villa in Lombardy

Painted timber ceilings, colossal stone fireplaces and original frescoes have survived centuries of change at Villa Berla, a 16th-century palazzo in Azzate, Lombardy.

Set above Lake Varese, less than an hour from Milan and Lake Como, the 1,300sqm house was altered through the 17th and 18th centuries. Frescoes thought to be from Lombard painter Giovanni Battista del Sole surround restored fireplaces and continue across the walls of several bedrooms.

Former Olivetti director Riccardo Berla acquired the palazzo around three decades ago, adapting it into four connected but independent dwellings for his family. More recently, architect Enrico Caminoli of Caminoli Coppola Architects oversaw its restoration, with interiors restyled by Marta Nowicka.

The house follows a monastic layout around a central courtyard, reinstated with river pebbles and reopened to the gardens. A columned portico runs along one side, while stone steps lead to the piano nobile and its terracotta floors, exposed beams and painted ceilings.

Today, Villa Berla includes a five-bedroom main house and connected apartment, with 12 bedrooms recorded across the property. It’s listed for €1.85 million with Hemingway+K.