Agribella

La Locanda

The guests at the Locanda del Glicine Antico will feel the emotion of living in the past. The beautiful building, that is still under restoration works, belonged to the wife of the painter Giovan Battista Ronchelli (1715/1788), whose frescoes can be seen in Palazzo Estense, Villa Recalcati, Villa della Porta Bozzolo.

It maintains the refined atmosphere and harmony typical of the ancient manors of the 17th an 18th centuries in Lombardy. The whole building shows the classic architectural characteristics of that period, splendid porticos, colonnades with round archs, large halls with magnificent marble fireplaces, beautiful "cotto" floors and coffered ceilings with the family coats of arms in bas-relief.

A majestic wisteria dominates the entrance courtyard: it was planted in 1597 when the villa was built and it is said to be among the oldest ones in Europe. Its branches that during spring time are covered with violet cluster flowers interlace on the façade high up to an ancient sundial.

The Locanda del Glicine Antico is located at 600 m. above sea level in the centre of the Valcuvia valley, in the ancient village Castel Cabiaglio that dates back to the Roman times; here in 1889 archeological finds, coins and tombs with cinerary urns were dug out. The sunny and cool village overlooks the mountain group Campo dei Fiori, that gives the name to the Regional Park. It is an ideal place to spend a relaxing holiday, though in a few minute drive it is possible to reach interesting touristic and cultural resorts like Lake Maggiore from Luino to Laveno or Villa Porta Bozzolo at Casalzuigno or Villa Panza in Varese. From the village a lot of trekking pathways start and go through century-old oak, chestnut and hazelnut woods full of cyclamens and fern.