The villa is located in the heart of Miasino, a small hillside village surrounded by chestnut woods and green meadows on the eastern shore of Lake Orta. Built during the 16th century, this elegant residence is one of the best examples in Piedmont of a country stately residence. It takes its name from the architect Nigra who purchased it in 1857 from the Martelli family. The villa testifies to at least three building phases: an older central core, overlooking Piazza Beltrami and dating back to the late Renaissance, was followed by an initial Baroque extension with a double loggia on the garden side and a new wing, built between 1680 and 1725. The villa’s airy courtyard of honour gives access to the park enriched by majestic century-old plants, including some splendid camellias, the oldest of which is about 250 years old; a long avenue cuts across it and leads to the gate on the opposite side, once an elegant entrance for carriages.
Today Villa Nigra is owned by the municipality and is rented out for public events such as art exhibitions, cultural meetings, concerts and as a location for private events including meetings and weddings.
The tour of the picturesque village of Miasino ends with a stop at one of the smallest botanical gardens in Italy, located not far from Villa Nigra: the Giardino dei Semplici. Here, in the romantic setting of the old parish house, you can admire about a hundred officinal plants, some of them very rare, that were once used in folk medicine and still form the basis of phytotherapy today. The silence and scents make this corner of Lake Orta one of the most intimate and cosy places in the area.
