Description of the attraction
Meina is a popular holiday destination on the shores of Lake Maggiore with several luxurious 19th century villas: Villa Eden, Villa Faragiana, Villa Pasta "La Favorita", Villa Bonomi, Villa Faraone and Palazzo Bedone. Also noteworthy are the historic buildings of Maina and the picturesque old town center.
By far the most remarkable villa in Meine is Villa Farajana, famous for its architecture and art collection. The elegant building, separated from the street by a majestic gate guarded by two crouching marble lions, was built in 1855 as the summer residence of the aristocratic Farajana family of Novara. The facade of the villa, perfectly reproducing the neoclassical style, is decorated with high reliefs depicting an allegorical image of the ancient Roman goddess of Glory, five medallions with portraits of Dante, Boccaccio, Petrarca, Ariosto and Tasso and eleven busts of other prominent Italians.
Senator Raffaello Faragiana, a true patron of the arts and a lover of rare and ancient things, has collected a huge collection of various works of art and historical values in his villa. In addition, the villa once housed the original zoological museum, where you could see stuffed African animals. After the death of the senator, Villa Farajana fell into disrepair, and its interior was significantly damaged, especially during the Second World War, when it was used as an evacuation point, and later as a resting place for soldiers from South Africa and Jews who survived in concentration camps. Today it houses a nursing home. And on the territory of the still luxurious garden, you can see many ancient trees, which are more than a hundred years old.
