Varese

Varese is rich in castles, many once pertaining to the Borromeo family. The historic center of the city includes the Praetorian Palace and Villa Cagna, a residential complex that also hosts the Civic Music School of Varese.
After the 19th-century, it was enriched by villas and their surrounding gardens, many now open to visitors, including:

Villa Recalcati in Casbeno built in early 18th-century, enlarged during 1756-77, once a luxury hotel, the building now houses the Offices of the Province of Varese and the Prefecture.
Villa Mylius, near the town center, was once owned by the Jesuit order, and in 1773 the house and park were sold to the notable Francesco Torelli, who transformed a modest building into a large villa, then sold in 1902 to the industrialist George Mylius. After his death, the property was divided among several heirs, who in 1946 jointly sold it to the varesino Achille Cattaneo, and he donated to the town of Varese in 2007.
Villa Toeplitz, in the locality Sant'Ambrogio stands, with a large public park. The complex is named after Giuseppe Toeplitz (1866-1938), Polish-born banker who bought it in 1914. Already modest country residence of the German family Hannesen, was enlarged by Toeplitz after World War II when his wife Hedwig Mrozowska and his son Louis sold it to brothers Mocchetti of Legnano. The complex with the elegant Italian park passed to the Municipality of Varese in 1972.
Ville Ponti were built between 1850 and 1870 by Milanese architect Giuseppe Balzaretto (1801-1874) for Andrea Ponti. In 1976, it was converted into a convention center. The main building, surrounded by a public park, is decorated internally by Giuseppe Bertini (1825-1898). Part of the complex, Villa Fabio Ponti is a neoclassical-style villa housed in 1959 headquarters for Garibaldi.
Villa Menafoglio Litta Panza in locations Biumo Superiore, opposite the entrance of Ville Ponti, was commissioned in mid-18th century by the Marquis Paolo Antonio Menafoglio, and is an examples of vacation home in Varese. The villa with the garden was partly transformed during the Napoleonic period (neoclassical hall), when the garden was converted into an English-style garden. Recognized since 1996 as well protected by the FAI, the building currently hosts the contemporary art collection of the family Panza.
Villa Augusta, in Giubiano neighborhood, was built in the second half of the 19th-century. Already owned by Testoni, passed to the Hospital of Circolo di Varese and then, 30 September 1952, was ceded to the Roman Catholic order of the Sisters of Purgatory Helpers. Since 1968, the villa was purchased by the city and houses municipal offices. The park is open to the public from 5 April 1970.
Villa Baragiola, in Masnago, has a well-visited park. On the north side, in the shadow of Mount Campo dei Fiori, in 1895 the lawyer Andrea Baragiola opened one of the first Italian racecourses, which extended to the area now occupied by the stadium "Franco Ossola" and its ample parking. The villa was renovated in the early thirties, and in the next decade refurbished as a religious seminary. Passed to the Municipality of Varese in 2001, today is a part of its offices, while the park is open to the public.
Castello di Masnago, Varese
In the city centre, there is Palazzo Estense with his gardens and Villa Mirabello.