It may seem hard to believe, but the name of the architect of this most venerable villa on Via Borgo Vico is unknown. Built on the grounds of the earlier 16th century villa, “Il Museo”, Villa Gallia was commissioned by Abbot Marco Gallio in the early 17th century. The layout is simple: the three-story building has a very large hall and two covered open terraces on the ground floor, one overlooking the lake and the other facing the garden and the hills. Each terrace has a three double-columned arch portico leading to the two-story high central hall. Sunlight to the hall is provided by two rows of windows.
The original interior decoration has been preserved. The walls are characterised by a series of ribbed columns, interspersed with mythological frescoes by Morazzone, dating between 1615 and 1618. The coffered wood ceiling contains carved roses and the floor is of polychrome marble.