Villa Pusterla, where Napoleon worked on the Republic of Cisalpina

Villa Pusterla, located in Mombello, is one of the most important villas of Limbiate, both historically and artistically. The construction of the villa dates back to the XIV century for the Pusterla family, and in the 16th century it became the property of the Carcano family. Following the death of Giacomo Antonio Carcano in 1543, the possessions passed in inheritance to the nephews of the Arconati branch, who entered into full possession only in 1594. After this, significant transformations were started, notably by Giovanni Battista Arconati between 1560 and 1564. Anna Visconti, a relative of San Carlo Borromeo, played a key role in transforming the villa into a year-round residence.

Under the order of the count Luigi Arconati, a wide balcony was built later, overlooking the garden via descending terraces. In 1819, the count Ferdinando Crivelli sold the villa to the Catena brothers. With this act, the residence passed into the hands of the wealthy bourgeoisie and was subsequently subjected to successive divisions and gradually stripped of its furnishings.

Napoleon Bonaparte used the villa as his headquarters in 1797, preferring it to the Reggia di Monza. He wrote 216 letters from the villa while working on the creation of the Republic of Cisalpina, the end of the Republic of Venice, and the fall of Genoa. Today, part of the villa houses a school named after the enlightenment figure Luigi Castiglioni, who lived in the villa for a brief period during the second half of the 18th century and used its park for his botanical studies, for which he was awarded by Napoleon.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons