Isola Madre Villa....Frayed at the Edges

Last week, I had photos from the garden of exotic birds on the island of Isola Madre on Lake Maggiore in Italy.  There was also a villa on the island.  The villa is a tiny bit frayed around the edges and it doesn't hold a candle to the grandeur of the villa on Isola Bella.  It took four posts to give you a peek at that villa.  However, there was still quite a lot to see and enjoy.  You can see from the above photo that the villa looks a little worn and in need of a fresh coat of paint.

This clock was on one of the outside walls and its numbers are somewhat faded but it still holds some old world charm even if it doesn't tell the correct time.

The main hall of the villa had many paintings hanging and I couldn't help worry about their safe keeping since all the windows were wide open to the outside air.

My favorite room was called the Venetian Lounge.  I loved the garden-like paintings on the walls giving it the feeling of an outdoor conservatory.

The lattice work of the painting went all the way up to the ceiling and surrounded a rather exquisite chandelier.

The bedrooms were fitting of a noble retreat.

The rooms where puppet shows were staged were some of the most interesting.  This one had the grandest stage.  16th century entertainment included intricate puppet shows and many grand households had collections of very elaborate puppets.

The room above was a bit smaller than the previous one but still large enough to entertain several people.

The one to the left looked like it might have been designed for the children of the house.

While touring the villa, I looked out of one of the many open windows and saw a preview of the private garden I mentioned in my last post.  That is the lily pond down there where all those green frogs were sunning themselves.  

The history of this place is a little obscure.  There was virtually no mention of it in my DK guide book and even Wikipedia has only two paragraphs.  I guess when it comes down to it, I don't need to know all the history.  I can just enjoy seeing it and hope you enjoyed this peek at it as well.