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Villa Biondelli: A Tale of Wine, Wonder, and Timeless Italian Craft

In the heart of Franciacorta’s wine country, Villa Biondelli is a historic estate reimagined as a poetic retreat for lovers of design, heritage, and slow living. Once the set of Italy’s first Technicolor animated film, this 18th-century villa blends cinematic magic, noble history, and eclectic interior artistry. From hand-painted tropical winter gardens to bespoke suites, every detail tells a story.

In the verdant heart of Franciacorta, nestled among the famed vineyards of Bornato, lies Villa Biondelli Wine & Suites—a historic residence reimagined as a haven for slow-living travelers, wine lovers, and aesthetes. With a past as rich as the wines it produces, the villa is a seamless blend of noble history, whimsical fantasy, and Italian design excellence.

Recently unveiled after a meticulous two-year restoration, the villa has been transformed into a refined yet welcoming retreat. Overseen by interior designer Francesca Brass, the restoration pays tribute to the building’s 18th-century origins while infusing each space with narrative charm and timeless elegance. The result is a singular experience that feels both like a grand hotel and a private home.

Villa Biondelli's transformation is rooted in a compelling piece of Italian cinematic history. During World War II, the villa served as an unlikely production studio for Italy’s first Technicolor animated film, The Singing Princess—a love story inspired by Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. To safeguard the project from wartime bombings in Milan, Ambassador Giuseppe Biondelli opened his family’s summer residence to the animation house IMA. For four years, illustrators and colorists—many of them local women—brought the characters of Zeila, Giafar, and Aladdin to life within these very walls.

Echoes of this magical tale now inform every corner of the villa. Two antique wooden shutters, hand-painted with characters from the film, have inspired the aesthetic thread that weaves through the entire property. Every suite is named after a character from the movie, such as the Zizibé Mini Suite, Gazza Ladra Junior Suite, Giafar Superior Suite, and the lavish Princess Zeila Bridal Suite, which boasts a pergola-covered terrace with vineyard views and a canopy daybed for stargazing.

Each of the villa’s eleven suites is a study in artistic layering. Luxurious beds with headboards in silk, linen, or antique suzani contrast dramatically with the richly pigmented walls and floors in hues of olive green, terracotta, indigo, mustard, and aubergine—colors that shift with the light, adding movement and warmth to the space. The Giafar Suite features a hand-carved wooden headboard from the Biondelli family collection, while seating throughout the villa is upholstered in globally sourced fabrics from Indonesia, Turkey, South America, and beyond.

The eclectic spirit continues in the lighting, crafted from antique amphorae, salvaged candle holders, and bespoke handmade shades that echo the villa’s fantastical, Arabian-inspired motif. Bathrooms are lined in light stone, outfitted with Tuscan pietra serena showers, brass “old-style” fixtures made by Florentine artisans, and in two select suites, hand-lined wooden bathtubs in deep blue and golden yellow.

Common areas blend heritage with hospitality. A marble tub from the 1800s, now used as a fountain, greets guests at the base of the staircase. The tasting room is anchored by a table made from a fragment of a 16th-century frescoed ceiling salvaged during WWII. In the winter garden, now the villa’s luminous lobby and breakfast area, hand-painted tropical birds and palm trees bring the spirit of the film to life. Created in 2019 by Milanese artists Orsola and Chiara of Picta Lab, the space is both fantastical and grounding—an indoor jungle of warmth and serenity.

Originally commissioned in the 18th century, the villa was once owned by Count Alessandro Fè d’Ostiani, a senator and diplomat of the Kingdom of Italy. In the 1940s, it passed to Ambassador Giuseppe Biondelli, who purchased the estate for his beloved wife, Clementina dei Conti Maggi di Gradella, a native of the region. Their love story and cultural stewardship are felt in every architectural gesture and every collected object within the home.

The exterior façade was restored by a team of experts who also work with Florence’s Cultural Heritage Authority. The project involved reconciling original 18th-century fresco details with late-19th-century additions. Trompe-l'œil windows, painted capitals, and ornate cornices were carefully brought back to life, allowing the villa to once again radiate its former grandeur.

Inside, Venetian terrazzo floors, restored wall frescoes, and hand-selected vintage and antique furniture create a rich atmosphere layered in time and style. From 19th-century Biedermeier consoles to original paintings, including a romantic 1800s view of Naples, every corner is curated yet inviting.

Villa Biondelli is not a hotel—it’s a living home collection. Guests are invited to step into a curated world where custom design, family heritage, and artistic storytelling converge. Whether sipping wine beneath wisteria-covered pergolas, attending a private cooking show, or enjoying a moment of stillness in the winter garden, the experience is nothing short of cinematic.