Located in a valley once renowned for hunting brown bears, this former hunting lodge was transformed into an elegant and delightful villa in the 16th century. Ascanio Mozzoni – whose heirs married into the Cicogna family – created the gardens in 1560, drawing inspiration from gardens he’d admired visiting villas in Tuscany and Lazio. To the south, the courtyard of honour and its loggias overlook a parterrewith boxwood hedges, set between walls of spongy Porlezza tuff rock. Reflected in the waters of two fishponds, a series of statues in niches evokes ancient nymphaea. To the north, the Viale della Caccia leads to a two-level formal garden of topiary beds, basins and flowering corbeilles. The garden’s geometry-inspired first terrace was built in the 17th century; a second was added in the 19th century. To the west, a staircase from 1728 climbs the hill, its two ramps divided by a steep succession of small waterfalls; the water flows into a basin at the bottom, while the ramps are bordered by two rows of cypresses. On the hilltop, a small temple offers charming panoramic views, marking the transition to the English-style garden created in the 19th century. Here, surrounded by a rich collection of trees and shrubs, greenhouses, fountains and water basins, another belvedere offers impressive views out over Lake Lugano.