Tomba di Giulio e Antonia Beccaria

The Tomb of Giulio and Antonia Beccaria stands in the historic park of Villa Beccaria, also known locally as Villa Rachele, at Sala Comacina. The six-column funerary temple was erected in 1858 and contains a marble figure attributed to Bassano Danielli.

Why it matters

The tomb is an example of nineteenth-century funerary architecture within a historic lakeside villa park rather than a cemetery. The regional heritage catalogue records the temple-form monument at Villa Beccaria, whose family history links the site with Giulio Beccaria, son of the jurist Cesare Beccaria. The Greenway del Lago di Como also lists the tomb among the cultural sites of Sala Comacina.

What to notice

The monument is a small classical temple with six columns supporting an entablature and hemispherical dome. Beneath it stands a marble figure of a young woman in prayer attributed to Bassano Danielli. The cypress avenue and the park’s position on the promontory facing Isola Comacina form the monument’s historic setting. The catalogue also records an old boat landing on the property.

Context and history

Villa Beccaria, locally known as Villa Rachele, was built between the mid-eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and occupies a promontory overlooking the lake. Giulio Beccaria, son of Cesare Beccaria, received jurists and philosophers at the villa; the Greenway account also records Alessandro Manzoni as a guest. The funerary monument was erected in 1858.