Although the gardens of Villa Ducale show traces of a structure typical of a formal Italian garden that trace it back to the end of the sixteen hundreds, it is, in reality, a typical example of mid-XIX century garden of the characteristic noble residences by the lake. The villa, which existed already in 1771, became in 1848 Antonio Rosmini’s property. Many illustrious personalities such as Alessandro Manzoni and Niccolò Tommaseo stayed there as Antonio Rosmini’s guests. The garden is renowned for having been the summer residence of the Duchess of Genova from 1857 to 1912. It is rich in exotic plants, such as the imposing camphor and the majestic cedar of Lebanon dating back to 1860 and placed exactly on the area that overlooks the lakefront.
