Hidden Gem in Milan: A Courtyard with Flamingos! 🦩

Villa Invernizzi, the Flamingo Garden, is home to flamingos imported from Chile and Africa over 50 years ago. It reminds me of when I lived in a small village near Pisa, where a family kept a wild boar 🐗 I’d visit daily on my way home from work. If I could afford to live in this wealthy area, I’d probably be visiting these flamingos every day, too! Can you imagine waking up, sipping coffee ☕️, and looking out at a yard full of flamingos? The villa’s owner, Romeo Invernizzi, known as Italy’s “King of Cheese,” made his fortune and bought two villas in central Milan. He tore down one to create an enormous garden — now home to the flamingos. After a trip to South America, the couple fell in love with flamingos. To add some vibrancy to city life, in 1979, they started by bringing in Chilean flamingos (smaller, reddish ones), and later added African flamingos (larger, pink and white) to the villa’s flock. The Invernizzis passed away in 2004 without children, so all their assets, including the flamingo garden, are managed by a foundation. Today, the flamingo population has multiplied; the oldest birds are around 25 years old. With so many young birds, some have even been sent to a zoo near Venice. #Milan #CityWalk #Villa #HiddenGem #DesignTour #Italy