Villa Levi is one of the most singular villas in the Reggio countryside, characterized by the presence of the imposing metal dome and the giant colonnade on the southern front. Born as a summer residence probably around the first half of the 1600s but significantly remodeled between 1790 and 1810 commissioned by the Besenzis, the first owners. It was the architect Domenico Marchelli who took care of the renovation, introducing the tympanum which slightly overhangs the building. The arrangement of the vast "Italian-style" garden and the construction of the two service buildings, which served as the caretaker's house and stable, can also be traced back to the architect Marchelli. In the 1830s the architect Luigi Poletti added the dome supported by a giant circular colonnade and worked on the "new" south façade, with the creation of a colonnaded pronaos and a monumental staircase that connects the ground level to the main floor. The villa today has therefore acquired an imprint that refers to Palladian influences. The villa passed to the Levi family in 1874; The interior decorations in Art Nouveau style date back to the early 1900s. It was then acquired by the Pelosis in 1956 and by the University of Bologna in 1971, which used it as the location for the Animal Production Sciences course. In the mid-80s the University created a floor in the attic, where offices and laboratories were built. Today the villa is owned by the University of Bologna, which has only maintained laboratory activities and the management of the agricultural company. It is made available to Coviolo citizens' associations for the organization of events, such as Covioloinfesta.
Source FAI environment fund.