Villa Malvezzi was commissioned by Giovanni Malvezzi (1887-1972). He was born in Vicenza but adopted by Parella and, when still very young, he was one of the founders of the magazine “Rinnovamento” (Renewal). At 21 he graduated in Law and in January 1909 he volunteered to help the victims of the Messina earthquake. With his friend Umberto Zanotti, Giovanni Malvezzi founded and collaborated to the “Associazione per gli Interessi del Mezzogiorno” (ANIMI, Association for the Southern Welfare ). He left the association in 1913, and became a member of the “Commissariato per l’Immigrazione” (Immigration Committee). He took part in the First World War as infantry officer and was awarded five medals for military valour. After the war, he started working at Credito Italiano and became Director of the Florence head office. In 1934, he was appointed General Manager of IRI, and in 1943 he became Director of IRI- Nord in Milan.

Thanks to his position Malvezzi was allowed to move from place to place, so he became active in the “Resistenza” (Resistance). In January 1945, he was imprisoned at “Le Nuove” in Turin and avoided being deported thanks to an exchange of prisoners. After the “Liberazione” several charges were made against him, but his name was cleared by the “Tribunale dell’Epurazione” (Epuration Court).
In May he became General Manager of IRI, but soon resigned (August 1947). He went on with his professional activity until 1957 as President of Monte Amiata, of some subsidiaries of IRI and as a consultant in different management boards of Italian, French and Swiss companies.

His villa at Parella was built between 1923-1924. It stands in Via Luigi Barattia, 8, together with its annexes and the large centuries-old park.
The building results from the connection of two blocks a little out of line; it has two floors. an attic and an elegant porch supported by Ionic columns. The walls are in turn made of stone or brick, embellished by elegant white frames in relief around the windows, oval in shape in the attic area, thus recalling the castellated mansions of the 16th century.
The refined interiors keep precious artifacts that reveal the aesthetic taste of Dr. Piero Giacosa, the playwright Giuseppe Giacosa’s brother and Giovanni Malvezzi’s father- in- law. In fact in 1913 he had married Piero Giacosa’s daughter Elena.
Piero Giacosa was an eclectic figure: scientist, artist, professor and historian, active member of the group that had made the project and built the Valentino Medieval Castle and Borough in Turin.
Dr. Giacosa inspired the project of the villa, the first draft of which was signed by the Eporedian Engineer Tancredi Aluffi (1892-1982), son of Alberto, who was a famous designer too.