Perhaps a magnificent centenary elm tree once stood tall and proud. This is the Olmo. Villa Olmo owes its very name to this now non-existent tree. Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi commissioned the villa. His family had even given birth to Pope Innocent XI.
Construction on Villa Olmo began in 1797. The eminent Swiss architect Simone Cantoni directed the works. He funded the original project drawn up by Innocent Regazzoni. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi. The sculptor Francesco Carabelli also worked here.
Many popular guests visited Olmo. Napoleon Bonaparte came in 1797. Ugo Foscolo visited in 1808. In 1824 Innocent Odescalchi died. The villa then passed to the Raimondi family. They arranged the square in front of the building.
Villa Olmo witnessed many historic visits. In 1835 the queen of the Two Sicilies and the Queen of Sardinia stayed. The emperors of Austria, Francis Ferdinand and Maria Carolina also visited. Prince Metternich, Marshal Joseph Radetzsky and Giuseppe Garibaldi all came here.
Garibaldi’s stay in Villa Olmo is marked by a small medallion. It is on a fireplace in one of the lounges on the ground floor. In 1883 the heirs of Marquis Raimondi sold the villa. Duke Guido Visconti Vimodrone bought it. He decided to restore and improve the entire building. Emilio Alemagna oversaw the work. The stables were demolished. The porch jutted into the lake. The little theater was built.
In 1924 the Visconti di Modrone family sold Villa Olmo. The city of Como bought it. Thus began the fourth period of its existence. It was all under the sign of science and art.
In 1927 Villa Olmo hosted the International Exhibition. It marked the first centenary of Alessandro Volta. Later, many local events occurred. Congresses, conferences, symposia, and performances were held here. Since 1982 it houses the Center of Scientific Culture Alessandro Volta. It organizes its international events in this unique scenario.
The field elm, Ulmus minor, is quite variable. It grows to less than 30 meters. Its crown is rounded. The bark is rough with light furrows in older trees. Young branchlets sometimes have corky wings. The shoots are slender compared to the wych elm.
The leaves are smaller than other European species. Leaves on young growth are coarse. Mature leaves are generally smooth. There are usually fewer than 12 pairs of side veins. Minute black glands run along the leaf veins. These can be seen with a magnifying glass. The samarae are oval or obovate and glabrous. They are 12–15 mm long. They are notched at the top with the seed close to the notch. In France, Ulmus minor flowers and fruits from 10 years old. The species readily produces suckers from roots and stumps. This happens even after Dutch elm disease.
Remember the magnificent elm tree. It gave Villa Olmo its name. Though gone its legacy remains. It is in the villa’s name and history.