Located in the historic building that gave birth to the famous Lecco geologist and patriot Antonio Stoppani, the Persian Palace welcomes its guests accompanying them through a historical and cultural journey to discover ancient Persia.

By accessing from the portal of Piazza XX Settembre n. 45 take Via Lalezar, one of the oldest streets in Tehran, the capital of Iran: at the end of the Qajar era and the beginning of the Pahlavi era it was a symbol of modernism and Persian art and was called "Tehran's Champs -Elysées ". In the first house at number 1 there is a characteristic room where guests were welcomed by the palace staff with basins and rose water to cool off and perfume themselves before meeting the Emperor.

At number 3 a typical tavern follows where it is used to serve tea and herbal teas to the crowd that animates the Iranian bazaars and where you can buy typical herbal tea and Persian crafts, while at number 5 the Ali Qapu palace marks the entrance to the residential district of the Safavid rulers that develops behind it, with three large windows that recall the famous music room, contained in it.

On the right of Via Lalezar there are instead the windows of the Persian Palace richly decorated with hand-painted tiles by expert Iranian masters until you reach number 2 where the internal rooms of the palace reserved for catering open.

 

The first Sala Zand is dedicated to the homonymous imperial dynasty that reigned over central and southern Iran in the second half of the 18th century. The progenitor of the dynasty was Karim Khan, head of the Zand tribe, whose portrait, alongside that of his wife, welcomes guests in front of the entrance door. The furnishings of the room are completed by two decorated niches, stained glass windows characteristic of the historical buildings of the time always made by Iranian craftsmen and an ancient frescoed ceiling dating back to the construction of Palazzo Stoppani.

The second Sala Qajar is instead dedicated to the dynasty that reigned in Persia from 1794 to 1925. It was founded by Muhammad Khan Qajar, who defeated and killed the last ruler Zand. During their reign the state was called the "Sublime State of Persia" and the city of Kashan still retains dozens of royal palaces where the numerous Kingdom Princesses resided. A poster on the back wall reproduces one of the aforementioned palaces, also recalled by the stained glass windows always made by Iranian masters.

Upstairs, the Golestan Hall is dedicated to the Pahlavi dynasty, which reigned over Persia from 1925, the year of the deposition of the last ruler of the Qajar dynasty, to 1979, when the Iranian Revolution deposed the last Shaha Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza, putting an end to the country's millennial monarchical tradition and proclaiming the Islamic Republic.

 

The name of this VIP room recalls the historical Shaha residence of the same name located in the center of the capital Tehran. It is the oldest monument in the city, part of a complex of buildings once enclosed by the walls of the historic citadel.

The room is richly furnished in pure imperial style, with hand-painted furniture, chairs and mirrors, onyx floors and windows always made by Persian craftsmen.

All the furnishings and decorations contained in the Persian Palace are of exclusive Iranian origin, while the wall structures, and in particular the magnificent ceilings with exposed beams and plastered plaster, have been the object of recovery and conservative restoration thanks to the expert hand of skilled Lecco craftsmen.

 

The visit to the palace ends with a stop in the garden in front of the Persian Palace and in the center of the Lecco lounge in Piazza XX Settembre, whose name Pardis (Farsi language paradise) suggests in itself the environment that awaits welcome guests, where enjoy tea and herbal teas from the rich Iranian bazaars or the traditional and exclusive saffron ice cream and rose water, in addition to the many offers of Persian catering.