About
A mysterious garden parlor with hidden water wonders.
Constructed in 1589 to house the Borromeo Visconti Litta's collection of art and fossils, the Ninfeo (meaning "nymphs' cave") is a curious architectural feature situated in the middle of a small park, isolated from the main Villa Litta building. The remarkable design of grottes (halls built to replicate grottos) contains numerous chambers seemingly formed from coral or clad with frescos and enormous decoration featuring fragments of coloured river stones. A plethora of Greek statues occupy alcoves, fountains and columns and most decorations bear hidden meanings related to mysticism, alchemy or symbolism.
