The inward-looking layout that characterizes the villa is probably not original. In an engraving by Marc’Antonio Dal Re (1743), the building appears in the background of Villa Alari with a block-like structure that still survives in the central body, higher and completely autonomous. The wings, added later, were attached to the main structure, closing some windows. The relationship between the building and the nearby Naviglio was also radically altered in the nineteenth century by the construction of a spinning mill, which interrupted the visual axis toward the canal and the ancient parish church. The first document attesting to the villa’s existence is the cadastral map of 1721. Ownership is clearly documented by the deed of sale dated April 1, 1724, in which Giacinto Alari sold to brothers Lucio and Francesco Cotta the Torrianetta estate and a “noble house with garden and other adjoining houses,” identifiable as the building and the two rural courtyards to the north. Only fifteen years later, Francesco Cotta resold the villa to Count Carlo Galesi for a lower price than the purchase cost; Galesi paid the agreed sum directly to the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan to cover Cotta’s debts. Upon Carlo Galesi’s death, the property passed to Cristoforo Carenzi Galesi together with the Visconta estate. From May 1, 1772, to July 21, 1778, Cristoforo was forced to rent his villa to host the court of Ferdinand of Habsburg, causing serious financial strain. The rent, with an annual fee of 700 imperial lire, was paid irregularly, as shown by payment reminders extending until 1780. Like the Alari and Greppi villas, it also became involved in unsuccessful negotiations for sale to the archduke. On March 23, 1791, the building and estate were purchased by Francesco Werich. The deed of sale mentions the presence of a chapel dedicated to the Holy Family. Werich, born in Prague in 1749, possessed considerable wealth and was a benefactor of charitable institutions and the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan, whose picture gallery preserves his portrait. Upon his death in Milan in 1816, the property was inherited by the Pedretti brothers. In the deed dividing the assets (1825), another valuable inventory appears, describing in detail the layout of both the central body and the wings: by then, the complex had assumed its current form. In 1903 the villa was registered to Marianna Pedretti, later passing to the Biraghi family, whose descendants still own it. The building is set within the fabric of the ancient village, though somewhat isolated. The main entrance opened onto Via Cavour with a pair of Baroque pillars supporting the gate to the garden. The main façade faces the garden, but the view once extended as far as the Naviglio. The articulation of volumes is lightened by the insertion of a trabeated portico and the small wrought-iron balcony above it. The façade overlooking the courtyard is more sober, contrasting with the curvilinear outlines of the elegant Baroque balcony and the staircase below. The spatial and decorative features allow the villa to be dated to the late seventeenth century. Text from: Nel cuore di Cernusco sul Naviglio. Tre passeggiate nel centro storico by Elisabetta Ferrario and Mauro Raimondi (Book Time – Libreria del Naviglio, 2016).