CASA REINA STABILINI
The building dates back to the first decades of the 18th century. It was home to Francesco Reina: a lawyer, silk merchant, publisher and biographer of Giuseppe Parini, and friend of painters and poets who stayed here (Giuseppe Parini, Andrea Appiani, Ugo Foscolo and Vincenzo Monti). In 1825 the house passed to the Stabilini family. The façade was built in 1735, while the portal, with its soft Baroque lines that leads to a small courtyard with a porch, was reconstructed after 1760 during renovation work. The wing in neoclassic style overlooking the lake was added in the early 1800s. On the wall of Sopportico Parini, open on the ground floor for the pedestrian crossing, there’s the reproduction of a painting by Massimo Campigli, “The Beach” (1937), which has as its subject matter photography to which many professionals and amateurs are dedicated.
FUN FACT
In the past centuries many homeowners used to build and decorate their residences right by their factories: examples include Villa Gavazzi and Bovara Palace in Valmadrera.
The Reinas are an ancient family from Malgrate. Francesco Reina (1766-1825) is particularly remembered for standing up for the Cisalpine Republic created by Napoleon and for editing the first complete edition of Parini’s works. Rumor has it his library counted fifty thousand books.
SOURCES
- Tiziana Rota “Malgrate da vivere, da conoscere da vedere”.
- G. Scotti – Malgrate capitale della cultura, in “Archivi di Lecco”.