Along the Via Emilia, opposite the ancient bell tower of the church of Pontenure, stands the gate to Villa Raggio
The villa
Originally called “Villa Fortunata”, the building was commissioned by Armando Raggio between 1882 and 1885, based on a design by the Genoese architect Luigi Rovelli.
The Raggio family were of Ligurian origin and were involved in shipbuilding.
Over time, the park and the greenhouse were added to the original building. In all its splendour, the villa hosted illustrious figures such as the Duke of Aosta and Prince Umberto of Savoy during the 20th century. During the Second World War, the German army requisitioned the villa and its outbuildings, which were only returned to the Raggio family at the end of the conflict.
In the second half of the century, the complex fell into disrepair before eventually becoming public property.
Restoration work began in 1998, and in 2003 the villa and its grounds were opened to the public. The villa’s beautiful, ornately decorated rooms have become a venue for cultural events, exhibitions and conferences, and since 2009 the municipal library has been housed in the building.
From 2026, the villa will be open to the public at certain times or by prior booking for school groups. Information is available on the official website.
The park
The park is located at the center of Pontenure between the Via Emilia and the Train Station; the green area is surrounding Villa Raggio stretches around the Villa and covers approximately 42,000 square metres, providing a fine example of a Mediterranean-style ‘imported garden’.
It was laid out around 1888. About a century later, in the late 1980s, the Pontenure Local Council purchased both the villa and the park. The enhancement and maintenance work carried out in the years that followed left the park’s layout virtually unchanged, remaining faithful to the original design.
Two tree-lined avenues to the sides and one in the center are dividing the park area in different wide spaces, creating a romantic style garden.
The park contains around 750 trees.
During the summertime season many cultural events are happening, like concerts, theater and movie festivals, like “Concorto Film Festival“.
In the middle of the park a particular architectural structure is located: a greenhouse made of glass, iron and cement. After a long period of unfitness for use, a cultural association named “Crisalidi” took care of the greenhouse, making some important restoration works, transforming it in the beautiful and unique “Serra Theater”.