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Born from the transformation of an ancient women's monastery of Cistercian foundation dedicated to the Virgin Mary and erected at the end of the 12th century, the Villa saw the succession of different owners-from the Mornico people of Valsassina to the German Walter Kees, finally arriving at the Swiss-born De Marchi people of Milan (to whom the Multipurpose Hall in Varenna is named)-who were responsible for the costly building and renovation works that gave it over time its current eclectic dwelling appearance.

In 1939 it was donated to the state, by the De Marchi family, with the obligation to preserve it and use it for cultural institutions of public benefit; thus it was that fourteen years later, in 1953, the conference center was built, which still today hosts conferences of a cultural and scientific nature, including the summer courses of the prestigious Italian School of Physics.

Finally, in 2003, the House Museum was built, in whose rooms -14, to be exact, distributed between the ground and second floors - the museum itinerary is articulated and unfolds, during which visitors have the opportunity to admire original decorations and furniture. Among the most important rooms are the Black Room, in neo-Renaissance style; the Bigliardo Room, with decorated capitals and various marbles; the Red Room, with neo-Rococo tapestries and furnishings; and the Fermi Room, in which physicist Enrico Fermi gave his last lectures in 1954.

To crown this splendid building we find the enchanting Botanical Garden, rich in rare and exotic botanical species kept lush here by the mild climate typical of the lake.
The complex consists of alternating terraces, laid out along a path of about two kilometers that reaches the nearby hamlet of Fiumelatte.

Colors and scents envelop this relaxing walk along the lakeshore, where palms, citrus trees, oleanders, agaves, yuccas, English Roses, multicolored Peonies, and many other collections and rarities, brighten the sight and soul of the many visitors who each year are fortunate enough to enjoy a few hours of tranquility in this peaceful oasis.

Also of remarkable beauty are the architectural decorations scattered here and there along the entire route: statues, small temples, reliefs and fountains accompany the visitor to the Kaffe-haus, located at the extreme southern edge.

Among the various works that corollate the park, "La Clemenza di Tito" certainly stands out, a sculptural group created by neoclassical artist Giovanni Battista Comolli, the author's last work before his death, placed here in the early 1900s.

Villa Monastero is owned by the Province of Lecco