THE HISTORY

The villa, as the name indicates,  was a Cistercian convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen.
It was probably founded before 1200 after the destruction of the Island Comacina, by the Comaschi during the war between Milan and Como.
In 1567, the convent was dissolved and the villa and grounds were bought by the noble family Mornico from Cortenova in Valsassina.
In 1645 Lelio Mornico completely changed the old convent into a splendid abode. In the 18th century it had various owners and during the second half of the 18th century it underwent some great restore works.
At the end of the century the German Kees became the owner and he enriched the garden.

In 1918 the villa was appropriated by the government, and in 1925 bought by Marco De Marchi who donated it to the state; in 1977 it finally past to the C.N.R. (National Council of Research). The villa had become in a few years an international cultural and scientific centre and from 1996 managed by the Province of Lecco.
In 2003 the inside of the villa became a museum with 14 rooms furnished with original objects and furniture.
The villa stands in a magnificent park where citrus, cypresses, pine trees and agaves grow and stretches over more than a kilometre. Statues and bas-reliefs can be admired along the paths among the numerous Mediterranean and tropical plants

Among those who frequented Villa Monastero was Fogazzaro who used the garden as inspiration for his theatrical work “Nadejde” which tells the story of the Princess de la Roche Plessys.

THE VISIT

Opening hours:

APRIL, MAY AND SEPTEMBER Casa Museo: from tuesday to sunday and holidays from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Botanical Garden: every day from 9.30am to 7.30pm

JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST: Casa Museo: everyday from 9.30am to 8pm. Botanical Garden: every day from 9.30am to 8pm

FROM 1ST OCTOBER TO 1ST NOVEMBER: Casa Museo: from tuesday to sunday from 10am to 6pm. Botanical Garden: every day from 10am to 6pm

NOVEMBER Botanical Garden and Casa Museo 4th, 5th, 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th, 25th, 26th from 10am to 5pm.

DICEMBER from 2nd to 10th, 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, from 26th to 31st: from 10am to 5 pm.

PRICES

Garden entrance:

• €10 full price
• €7 reduced for people over 65, groups of at least 20 people, Touring Club Italiano members, FAI members, ICOM members.
• €5 reduced for people aged from 15 to 25.

Entrance to Gardens and House Museum:

• €13 full price
• €9 reduced for people over 65, groups of at least 20 people, Touring Club Italiano members, FAI members, ICOM members.
• €7 reduced for people aged from 15 to 25

Combined admission to Villa Cipressi Botanical Garden + Villa Monastero Botanical Garden

• €19 full price
• €13 reduced for people over 65, groups of at least 20 people, for Touring Club Italiano members, FAI members, ICOM members
• €9 reduced for people aged 1from 15 to 25.

Cumulative entry possible only compatibly with the opening times of Villa Cipressi.

Cumulative admission to Villa Cipressi Botanical Garden + Botanical Garden and Villa Monastero House Museum

• €22 full price
• €15 reduced for people over 65, groups of at least 20 people, Touring Club Italiano members, FAI members, ICOM members.
• €11 reduced for people aged from 15 to 25.

Cumulative entry possible only compatibly with the opening times of Villa Cipressi.
Always free for children aged from 0 to 14, people with disabilities and a companion for each person with disabilities,