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The
largest Villa Andrea Ponti, was demolished and lavishly reconstructed in the second half of the
18th century by the architect  Giuseppe Balzaretto. The recently reconstructed Villa Fabio Ponti, known as
"Villa Napoleonica", was built probably during the 17th century and extended between 1820
 and 1830.
The family Ponti bought it in 1838 as a summer residence. The villa acquired its popular name because
Garibaldi quartered himself there during the battle of Varese at lower Biumo on the 26th May 1859.
The English style garden has a natural lake in it, and the exalted character of the exterior decoration is also
reflected internally, with big rooms richly ornamented with stucco. Today the properties are owned by the local Chamber of
Commerce, and function as Congress Centre.
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