Palazzo Estense was built in the 1760s as a summer residence for Francesco III d'Este, Duke of Modena, who briefly ruled the region under Austrian patronage. The building itself now houses the Varese town hall, but the formal Italian gardens behind it are open to the public and are among the finest in Lombardy.
The gardens descend in terraces from the palace, with clipped hedges, fountains, and long allées of trees framing views toward the hills. In summer they are a favourite retreat from the city heat — shaded, quiet, and entirely free to enter. The garden is particularly lovely in spring when the magnolias and ornamental plantings are in bloom.
The Basilica of San Vittore, Varese's main church, is a short walk away and worth a brief visit for its baroque interior and the medieval baptistery alongside it.