The prestigious villa rises on a hill top in the centre of the village along the road leading to the bridge over River Ticino not far from the ancient rural parish church of Saints Vincenzo and Anastasio. The villa was built in the second half of the 17th century by Cardinal Federico Caccia and, after his death in 1699, it was devolved to the Marquis Ferrero of Milan and then, through various hereditary passages, to the Earls Gallarati Scotti and Simonetta family. The whole complex was sold to the Commune of Varallo Pombia in 1972 by the heirs of the last owner, the Countess Teresa Bollini Mocenigo Soranzo. Today it is seat of the town hall, civic library, archaeological museum and picture gallery. The building is composed of two bodies, which are orthogonal but different between them as far as the length and the quantity of storeys are concerned. The largest wing shows a very severe architecture, marked by simple windows and preceded by two symmetric stairways approaching to the central part in such a way that the large hall (today the council room) is connected with the garden. The south façade facing the main courtyard is characterized by two coats of arms painted on the wall; the former is that of Caccia family, the latter is the one of Innocenzo XII, of the Pignatelli family, who had appointed Federico Caccia to Cardinal. Eventually, a big sundial was displayed to great effect as it is framed in elegant Baroque twists. The courtyard is limited toward the street by a two-storey building, which is provided with hallway and segmental portal. Some windows of the first floor looking onto the courtyard depict mysterious figures (trompe-l’-oeil). In its interior the pink granite honour staircase winds within an octagonal room, where four 18th-century statues standing in their niches and depicting the four seasons can be admired. Always in the major wing, many painted panelled ceilings embellishing the most important halls of the villa are worth a mention. An archaeological museum collects findings coming from excavations performed in this area dating back to the Golasecca and Roman civilizations. The Romantic-style garden is rich in camellias and azaleas, rhododendrons and palm trees, while a great chestnut tree individuates the spot where the Countess loved to stop and sip a cup of tea with her friends. At the beginning of the alley of camellias, a rare Michelia, a Chinese plant preferring temperate climates, can be admired, whose flowers give off a delicious aroma of banana. It is the unique specimen in the region of Novara.