This magnificent seaside villa built in 1930 was once the palatial home of Italian ambassador Count Natale Labia and his South African wife. It now hosts a program of concerts, lectures and events, as well as exhibiting the Labia family’s furniture, imported from Venice in the 1920s, and works from their art collection (including paintings by Irma Stern and Gerald Sekoto). The ornate building also houses Cucina Labia restaurant and the South African Print Gallery.

Capetonian architect Fred Glennie designed the grand palazzo in the style of 18th-century Venice, and a Venetian interior designer furnished it with antique fixtures and fittings. It served as the Italian, Canadian and finally Argentinian embassy for several decades, before entering its current incarnation in the 1980s. The rights to oversee the building were handed back to the Labias’ son and granddaughter in 2008. It has since undergone a loving restoration.

Transportation

  • train: Muizenberg

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Posthuys

0.06 MILES

This one-time lookout post for ships entering False Bay dates from the 1670s, making it one of Cape Town’s oldest European-style buildings.

2. Bailey's Cottage

0.15 MILES

This beach cottage between the sea and the railway line dates from 1909 and was built for mining magnate and legislator Abe Bailey, whose grave is on the…

3. Rhodes Cottage Museum

0.22 MILES

Staffed by volunteer guides from the Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society, this thatched cottage houses a museum dedicated to Cecil Rhodes. The much…

4. Muizenberg Beach

0.31 MILES

Popular with families, this surf beach is famous for its row of colourfully painted Victorian bathing chalets. Surfboards can be hired and lessons booked…

5. Muizenberg Synagogue

0.31 MILES

This red-and-white painted synagogue dates from the 1920s and ‘30s, when Muizenberg had a large Jewish population. It still opens for services on Friday…

6. St James Beach

0.69 MILES

This small beach, next to St James train station, has colourful bathing chalets and a tidal pool for safe swimming. It's popular with families.

7. Save Our Seas Shark Education Centre

1.2 MILES

This educational centre encourages awareness, protection, conservation and the sustainable fishing of sharks worldwide. The state-of-the-art exhibits,…

8. Kalk Bay Harbour

1.59 MILES

This picturesque harbour is best visited in the morning, when the community’s fishing boats pitch up with their daily catch and a lively quayside market…

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