Villa Marigola

History of Villa Marigola

As early as the Middle Ages the Marigola headland was a lookout point over the sea. In the 16th century the Barnabite fathers built a small monastery on the remains of the fortification. At the end of the 18th century the property was bought by the Ollandini marquises, who turned it into a farming estate producing oil and wine, with citrus trees trained along the walls.

In 1888 the villa passed to the English banker Sir Reginald Pearse, who turned it into a holiday home in the spirit of the British travellers who had fallen in love with the gulf. Its present appearance, however, is the work of the architect Franco Oliva, who between 1926 and 1949 worked for the new owner, the shipowner Gio Batta Bibolini, redesigning the villa and its gardens. Today Villa Marigola belongs to Carispezia, part of the Crédit Agricole group, which looks after its upkeep and uses it as a conference centre and venue for cultural events.

The park and gardens

The park spreads across the headland among holm oaks, maritime pines, olive trees and Mediterranean plants, with shady paths and viewpoints over the sea. At its heart is the Italian garden in front of the villa: geometric hedges, flowerbeds and terraces stepping down towards the gulf, one of the rare examples of a formal garden looking directly onto the sea. Next to it is a freer, English-style section.

At the entrance you come to the so-called Böcklin garden, a small, shady artificial grotto in rocaille style, dedicated to the Swiss painter who used to visit the villa. From the terraces the view stretches from Lerici and its castle to Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. It is considered the most spectacular view of the Gulf of La Spezia.

Famous guests

The charm of the Marigola has drawn many of the leading figures of the Gulf of Poets. According to tradition the villa captivated Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron, who lived and sailed in the gulf in the 1820s, and later writers such as D. H. Lawrence and the playwright Sem Benelli. Guests also included the Empress Frederick of Germany, daughter of Queen Victoria, and the painter Arnold Böcklin. In the 20th century the gulf and the villa also inspired the poet Attilio Bertolucci.

How to visit Villa Marigola

Villa Marigola is not a museum with fixed opening hours: it is a private conference centre and opens to the public only on specific occasions.

• Events: the villa hosts exhibitions, concerts, conferences and weddings, and you can see the interiors during events that are open to the public.
• Gardens: guided tours of the gardens can be booked for groups; the ticket prices listed by Grandi Giardini Italiani are €8 full and €5 reduced.
• Special openings: at certain times, especially in summer, the park opens to the public for a few weeks.
• Information: tel. 0187 970065, email info@villamarigola.com.

Before you go it is always worth phoning or checking the Grandi Giardini Italiani page, as opening times change from year to year.

Getting to Villa Marigola

The villa is on via Biaggini, on the headland between the Venere Azzurra beach and San Terenzo. From Lerici it is about a 20-minute walk along the seafront promenade, followed by the climb up the villa’s road; from San Terenzo it takes around ten minutes. If you are driving, leave the car at La Vallata car park or Venere Azzurra car park: you will find all the details in the Lerici parking guide. ATC buses on lines L and S stop at Venere Azzurra.

Nearby

The visit pairs well with the “castle to castle” walk between Lerici and San Terenzo, a swim at Venere Azzurra or Marinella and a climb up to Lerici Castle. In San Terenzo, on the seafront, is Villa Magni, the last home of Percy and Mary Shelley.