Varese - Sant'Ambrogio Olona district, gardens of the Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, later changes, atelier Adam et Collin, designed by Jadwiga née Mrozowska Toeplitz (?)., photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Modified: yes, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, License terms and conditions
Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese
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ID: POL-001436-P/135375

The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese

ID: POL-001436-P/135375

The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese

Variants of the name:

ob. własność Università degli Studi dell’Insubria

Modelled on the Mannerist masterpiece, the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, the Toeplitz family's gardens surrounding their small villa impress with their landscape grandeur, the richness of their flora and the beauty of their architectural composition. Local tradition ascribes to Jadwiga Mrozowska the proper conceptual authorship of this entire establishment.

Built in 1901, the Neo-Renaissance villa in the northern suburb of Varese was owned by the Frey industrialist family, then by the German Hannesen family. Its designer (or just construction manager) was local engineer Alfredo Speroni. The entire estate was bought by the Warsaw-born banker Józef Leopold Toeplitz, an Italian citizen since 1912 and co-owner of the Banca Commerciale Italiana, of which he had already been director of the Milan branch for several years. Together with the actress Jadwiga, née Mrozowska, whom he married in 1918, they made Varese their main Italian residence. Toeplitz's fortune and influence, in the 1920s in charge of Fascist Italy's largest financial institution, allowed for almost unlimited investment. In the light of the present findings, it is not clear whether the villa, bought in 1914, was rebuilt immediately or only between 1920 and 1926, when mansards, a side turret and a small astronomical observatory with a metal dome were added. However, the extension did not change the character of the residence as a small suburban palace. During these years, the Paris atelier Adam et Collin carried out major work on the greatly enlarged park area surrounding the villa. In keeping with the fashion common at the time, reference was made to all'italiana garden designs, mainly Mannerist Tuscan and Roman settings. The central part of the park was given a regular composition with terraces, a cascade and fountains imitating those of the Villa d'Este. At the top of the establishment, a forest of cypresses surrounds a belvedere allowing the eye to overlook the entire composition. The arboretum surrounding this part of the park has a more wild character, and contains many rare exotic tree species (including sequoias, Lebanese and Himalayan cedars, and various oak species) selected by Jadwiga Mrozowska, who acquired a great deal of geographical and botanical knowledge during her long journeys and gave her expeditions a scientific character. The overall conception of this part of the park, or the whole complex, is attributed to her, but this has not been confirmed. In the Sant'Ambrogio cemetery adjacent to the estate, there is a magnificent tomb of the Toeplitz and Mrozowski families, with a painting by Jan Rosen. After the Second World War, Joseph's son from his first marriage, Ludwik, sold the estate to the Mocchetti brothers, who in 1972 sold it to the Municipality of Varese, which allocated the villa and gardens for use by the university.

Related persons:

Time of construction:

1920-1926

Creator:

Jadwiga Mrozowska (aktorka, tancerka, pisarka; Polska, Włochy)(preview), Adam et Collin (architekt krajobrazu; Francja)

Bibliography:

  • M. Janocha, J. Pasierb, Polonica artystyczne w zbiorach watykańskich, Warszawa 2000, s. 365
  • G. Montanari, „Bankier Józef Toeplitz i jego związki z Polską”, w: „Włochy i Polska 1919-2019. Sto lat wspólnej fascynującej podróży”, red. J. Miziołek, Warszawa 2019, s. 76-77, 83

Publication:

06.09.2023

Last updated:

24.09.2025

Author:

prof. Andrzej Pieńkos
see more Text translated automatically
Villa Toeplitz in Varese, a neo-Renaissance building with a circular tower and an observatory dome, surrounded by lush greenery and trees. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - Sant'Ambrogio Olona district, gardens of the Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, later changes, atelier Adam et Collin, designed by Jadwiga née Mrozowska Toeplitz (?)., photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Villa Toeplitz in Varese, a neorenaissance building with a round tower and observatory dome, surrounded by lush greenery and trees. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Side view of Villa Toeplitz in Varese, featuring neoclassical architecture with arched windows and stone facade. A manicured lawn with a flower bed is in the foreground. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese with a circular fountain in the foreground, surrounded by red and yellow flowers. Stone steps and lush greenery lead to a belvedere at the top. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Stone staircase and water channel in Villa Toeplitz gardens, Varese, surrounded by greenery and manicured lawns. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Stone staircase with cascading water feature in Villa Toeplitz gardens, Varese, surrounded by tall trees and leading to an arched stone structure. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
A cascading water feature in the gardens of Villa Toeplitz, Varese, surrounded by lush greenery and tall cypress trees under a clear blue sky. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
Stone mausoleum with arched openings and a cross on top, surrounded by trees and a wall with memorial plaques, located in the gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007
A mural depicting a religious figure in a dark robe with a halo, holding a finger to their lips. Another figure in a hooded robe is partially visible on the left. The background features abstract patterns. Photo showing The gardens of Villa Toeplitz in Varese Gallery of the object +8
Varese - dzielnica Sant’Ambrogio Olona, ogrody Villa Toeplitz, 1920-1926, późniejsze zmiany, atelier Adam et Collin, proj. Jadwiga z Mrozowskich Toeplitz (?), photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2007

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