The Villa del Sol d'Oro

Many of your are aware of my second job as a wedding coordinator. I do all the events at the Villa del Sol d'Oro, on the grounds of Alverno High School in Sierra Madre, CA. The Alverno Villa is a duplicate of the Villa Collazzi located on the outskirts of Florence, Italy. Villa Collazzi has been occupied for several centuries by the Bombicci ― Fomi family, and legend has it that the Villa is the only one ever designed by the immortal Michelangelo. The Villa del Sol d’Oro is one―quarter scale to the original.
Originally built on thirteen acres of trees and flowers overlooking the entire San Gabriel Valley, the Villa had five master bedrooms, four bathrooms, and ample help quarters, one of the first electric elevators in the area, porches on three sides, and spacious patios. On the grounds were garages, stables, caretaker’s home, swimming pool, bath house, and tennis courts.
The building is comprised of two stories and a tower. It is said that the walls are made of two rows of hollow tile to keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The lower story houses the reception rooms, dining room, drawing room, and library. The upper floor includes the living quarters and a spacious ballroom. The tower was built to obtain a better view of the valley.
I feel beyond fortunate to get to work in one of Southern California's historical and architectural gems. This was one of the weddings I coordinated back in September....