Four hectares of historic gardens combining Pierre André's English Park and a rare 18th-century French Garden with seventeen trompe-l'œil frescoes. Self-guided audio tour via QR code, twenty minutes from Brescia in the heart of Franciacorta. Member of Grandi Giardini Italiani.
- Seventeen 18th-century trompe-l'œil frescoes in a rare French Garden
- English Park designed by French landscape architect Pierre André (1906)
- Multilingual audio guide via QR code (Italian, English)
- Four hectares with a fully accessible flat path
- Free dedicated parking in the olive grove at the entrance
| Included | Multimedia audio guide via QR code, activated with your own smartphone. Illustrated route map. Free dedicated parking in the olive grove at the entrance. Drinking-water station along the route. Bicycle racks at the entrance. |
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| Not included | Access to the Villa interiors, still the private residence of the Togni family. Live guided tour (available as a separate product). Food and drinks. |
| Duration | 50 Minutes |
| Bring along | A smartphone with camera to scan the audio-guide QR code. Personal earphones for optimal listening. Comfortable shoes suitable for natural paths. |
| Important information | Show your ticket directly from your smartphone — no need to print. Maximum tolerance of 15 minutes after the stated time; after that, the slot is forfeited without refund. Smoking and pets are strictly prohibited. The Villa interiors cannot be visited. |
Further information
A four-generation home, open to the public since 2025
The Gardens of Villa Togni già Averoldi tell six centuries of the history of Brescia. The Villa's foundations date back to the 14th century, when the building served as a fortress controlling the road between Lake Iseo and Valtrompia. In March 1426, the Conspiracy of Gussago — staged within these very walls — paved the way for Brescia's entry into the Republic of Venice; the episode is still depicted in the frescoes of the Hall of Honour. The Averoldi family owned the property for nearly five centuries, including Altobello, Bishop of Pola and patron of Titian's Polyptych now preserved in Brescia, and Giulio Antonio, patron of the French Garden of the Villa. In 1906 Cavalier Giulio Togni, founder of Officine Metallurgiche Togni, began its restoration together with engineer Egidio Dabbeni and French landscape architect Pierre André. The Togni family has lived here continuously for four generations.
Two gardens in one estate
The four-hectare route crosses two distinct environments. The early-20th-century English Park is designed around a system of perspective axes connecting a monumental colonnade, an ornamental pond, sculptures and a rose garden, with mature trees and open vistas onto the Franciacorta hills. The 18th-century French Garden is a rare example of an Italian formal layout preserved largely intact, made unique by a cycle of seventeen trompe-l'œil frescoes. Restoration work funded by the Italian PNRR programme, completed in 2024, has brought these spaces back to excellent condition after more than 110 years.
The Villa of Music
Composer Camillo Togni (1922–1993), one of the leading figures of 20th-century Italian music and among the first Italian composers to adopt Schönberg-derived serial technique, was born and lived in this Villa. Between 1944 and 1948 pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, displaced to Gussago during the war, stayed here and gave young Camillo piano lessons. In the following years the Villa became a crossroads of the European musical avant-garde, hosting figures such as Pierre Boulez, Alfred Cortot and Carlo Maria Giulini. The Fondazione Domani l'Aurora – Camillo Togni ETS, which manages the gardens today, takes its name from Camillo's last composition, written a few weeks before his death in 1993.
Your visit
The visit is self-guided with a multimedia audio guide, activated via QR code at the entrance using your own smartphone. Average duration: 45–60 minutes. The route is flat and accessible to strollers and visitors with reduced mobility. We recommend bringing your personal earphones for optimal listening.
