Fuorisalone 2024: Alcova to be based in two ancient villas outside Milan

For its week-long event, Alcova has chosen two captivating historic villas in Varedo, on the outskirts of Milan, just a short distance from each other: Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi.

Built during World War II and completed in 1945, Villa Borsani is a masterpiece of Modernist architecture designed by architect Osvaldo Borsani as a family home adjacent to their furniture factory. The building has remained pristine to this day thanks to the family heirs and stands as a unique testament to Borsani’s design style, incorporating original and distinctive artistic elements, such as a fireplace by Lucio Fontana. The villa also houses the Osvaldo Borsani Archive.

On the other hand, Villa Bagatti Valsecchi is one of the most representative examples of 19th-century Lombard villas. Built as a country house for the noble Bagatti Valsecchi family, the villa features a large central volume flanked by two lower wings enriched with two large terrace roofs. Additionally, it is adorned with a portico with 15th-century columns recovered from the Lazzaretto di Milano after its demolition. A large Italian garden extends behind the villa, with two English gardens on either side. Today, the villa is managed by Fondazione La Versiera 1718.

As always, in this case, too, the two villas will be animated by a selection curated by Alcova of designers, institutions, and companies pondering the future of living and creating, with a rich program of conferences and performances. The two sites will be connected to the city by the S2 and S4 lines every 15 minutes.