Villa Mylius in Sesto San Giovanni
Villa Mylius, located in Sesto San Giovanni, was built at about the alf of the eighteenth century and purchased by the patron and art collector Enrico Mylius, who used it as cultural salon attended by well-known figures, such as Carlo Cattaneo, Massimo D’ Azeglio and Alessandro Manzoni. In 1928 the villa was purchased by the Municipality that set up several radical changes. In the twenty-first century, the villa underwent a complete renovation and then it became a possession of ISEC, a centre specialised in contemporary history.
The garden in front of the villa is composed by a path that unwinds inside a small wood that features various tall trees. A wooden brifge crosses over a pound in front of the villa andleads into relax areas. Many aviaries, placed in different points of the garden, house a lot of species of birds, including birds of prey. Recently the historic garden of the villa was subject of a redevelopment, that radically changed the original Italian geometric structure: many tall trees were planted according to the original ancient style and hills and new curved paths. The garden project of the architect M. Hays has been focused on the choice of materials that reflect the tradition of historic gardens, such as draining paving in limestone grit and curbs in rock garden, removal of any existing visual barriers by recreating prospective views of the garden. The project also provided the introduction of botanical rooms, the redevelopment of the underwood areas with species that prefer shade and partial shade, the realization of educational flower beds and a wooden deck placed under the existing metal gazebo, which may be used for recreational activities.
The Villa currently hosts by the Centro Studi ISEC, whereas the garden open to the public and available for educational activities.