Villa Boccalari

Villa Boccalari is located in the village of Castello, in the hamlet Codogna, and the name refers to the former presence of a medieval fortress. The late 19th-century construction was commissioned by Joseph Lavit, a French citizen who was born in Nice in 1835 and died in Grandola in 1902. During the 1880s-90s, Lavit stayed with his family on Lake Como, where he loved to hike and visit the surrounding area. In 1896 he arrived in Grandola and decided to buy two cottages in a scenic area, overlooking the lake and valley.

The façade of the villa overlooking the valley is particularly fascinating, as it stands on a terrace connected to the countryside below by a long diagonal flight of stairs. The name of Anna Skerk, Joseph's wife, is still visible on the iron railing. For a time, the mansion was named "Anna Castle" in her honor, paying homage to her figure.