This Little Slice Of Italy Hidden In Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains Is One Of Its Best-Kept Secrets

While the idyllic countryside around Charlottesville, Virginia, holds many historic treasures such as Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and the Blue Ridge Tunnel, Virginia's hidden passage through time, many travelers don't know about a stunning Italian-inspired estate atop Afton Mountain. The story of the mansion begins in the early 20th century, when James Henry Dooley, a wealthy businessman from Richmond, purchased over 700 acres of land on the mountain. In 1912, he built a lavish summer home there called Swannanoa (meaning "beautiful trail" in Cherokee).

The exterior design of Swannanoa was based on the Villa de Medici in Rome, a grand 16th-century Italian palace built for Cardinal Ferdinando I de' Medici. Swannanoa reflects the villa's Renaissance details, such as two towers, an entry loggia, and balustraded terraces, all in Georgian marble. Inside, the extravagance continues with grand proportions, a French music room, and a marble staircase. The property's gardens were transformed to resemble Italian terraces and offer majestic views of the Shenandoah Valley. 

After Dooley and his wife passed away in the 1920s, Swannanoa was used as a country club, and later, a cultural center. Today, Swannanoa is owned by Skyline Swannanoa Inc. and has been carefully restored to its former grandeur.

Swannanoa is located in Afton, Virginia, about a 30-minute drive from Charlottesville, a lively college town with a vibrant wine scene. It is also a 90-minute drive from Richmond and two hours from Washington, D.C. Swannanoa can only be visited on guided tours, which take place between May and November on the second Saturday of every month at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets cost $35 per adult, and children 12 and under can enter for free. The estate also serves as a glamorous venue for private events and special occasions.

A visit to Swannanoa will transport travelers to Renaissance Italy at first glance. The picturesque marble mansion, crowned by a distinctive red roof, rises out of the bucolic Virginia foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. History and art lovers alike will be fascinated by the architectural details of the grand facade. Inside the mansion, the gracious main staircase is overlooked by an enormous stained glass portrait of Dooley's wife, Sallie May, made by the illustrious Louis Comfort Tiffany. At the time of the Dooleys' residence, Swannanoa was decorated with luxurious art and antiques collected from the couple's worldwide travels. 

While the Tiffany portrait is still intact — the largest of its kind to be found in any privately-owned estate in America — visitors will not find much of the Dooleys' decorative arts on display today. Swannanoa's interior architecture has been restored, but most of the mansion's original artifacts were moved to the couple's main residence, Maymont, in Richmond. 

Even if you're not a history buff, Swannanoa will leave you spellbound. "This place is fascinating to see. The docents here are very knowledgeable and share intriguing history of the place," raves one visitor on Tripadvisor. "The house has no furniture, but it is still beautiful."

After you've toured the mansion, roam the spectacular terraced gardens that overlook the region's lush greenery. Here, surrounded by the undulating Shenandoah Valley, you may feel like you're in Tuscany. To continue this Italian-inspired excursion, visit some of the neighboring wineries on the Monticello Wine Trail, which blends award-winning wines with centuries of history.