Bellissima: Century-Old Italianate Villa in Macon, GA, Is a Portrait of European Elegance

Hidden in a forested corner of Macon, GA, is a romantic villa that’s for sale for $1,350,000.

The three-bedroom palazzo, which is fondly known as “Villa Albicini,” was commissioned in 1927 by David and Edith Horgan and designed by architect Philip Trammell Schutze.

“Horgan was a local, well-known florist, and the property was carved out of a larger parcel of land that was the Idle Hour horse farm,” says listing agent Kelly Wood. “It’s my understanding that vast gardens originally surrounded the property and were used for his floral business.”

Nearly a century later, the home still features trimmed lawns, neat hedges, and tree canopies across its 1.5-acre lot. The grounds evoke a slower pace of life and the subdued elegance of the European countryside.

‘Designed to look like an Italian chapel or villa’

“The home was designed to look like an Italian chapel or villa, with incredible indoor spaces like a formal drawing room, dining room, and morning room,” Wood says. “The exterior was built to look aged. They used a wash technique that included pig’s blood to get the darker color in the stucco.”

Opulent details include the Sienna marble fireplace mantel and the hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper of the morning room. The dining room features a carved marble mantel and a custom-made Venetian glass chandelier.

Other points of interest in the palazzo’s long history: The design was originally meant to be done not by Schutze, but by his mentor.

“Neil Reed was an Atlanta architect who was hired to build the small palace,” says Wood. “But he died before he could begin. Shutze was a draftsman in his office and took over the task.”

Shutze went on to become a prominent architect in Georgia.