The Castiglionis

The Villa belonged to Cesare Castiglioni, a Garibaldian, patriot, benefactor and local industrialist; heir of the Castiglioni counts of Lonate Ceppino, he was a descendant of Goffredo, pope with the name of Celestine IV in 1241, and of Branda Castiglioni, bishop in the 14th-15th century, who hired Masolino to fresco the baptistery of Castiglione Olona.

The founder of the Castiglioni family, Corrado, lived in the 10th century; among the illustrious Castiglionis, in addition to Celestino IV and Branda, there are also Baldassarre (intellectual of the 15th-16th century), Francesco Abbondio (cardinal in the 16th century), Pius VIII (pope in 1829) and others.

Cesare Castiglioni’s granddaughter, Donna Carla (mother of the current Countess Donna Uberta), was a regular benefactor of the Seminary of Venegono Superiore, where, among others, the future Archbishops of Milan Dionigi Tettamanzi and Mario Delpini studied.