In 1924, prominent Los Angeles physician Walter Barlow began building his dream house in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. The Tuscan-style villa reflected the Barlows' love of Italy - The facade a two-thirds scale replica of the Villa Collazi near Florence which is said to have been designed by Michaelangelo. Pasadena architect Wallace Neff was commissioned to create the house that would be called the Villa del Sol d'Oro. The Villa has the elegant black and white tiled foyer with a curving stairway and wrought iron bannister that became classic Wallace Neff touches.

Dr. Barlow suffered from tuberculosis, the lung disease which has killed hundreds of millions of people throughout history. He created the first major treatment facility in Los Angeles solely devoted to people with TB, and he hoped that the fresh mountain air of Sierra Madre would help him in his own battle against the disease.

He loved books, dogs, and medicine, and when he died in 1937 his rare book collection was donated to the Los Angeles County Medical Association and is now part of the Huntington Library.

Marion Patterson Barlow sold the Villa del Sol d'Oro to the Sisters of St. Francis in 1942 before moving permanently to the Huntington Hotel. The Sisters used the house as a novitiate before building the existing school in 1960. Alverno Heights Academy graduated its first class on the Terrace in 1964. The name was changed to Alverno High School in the early 1970's.

In 1978 the Franciscans turned the school over to a board of Immaculate Heart Community members, who responded to the Franciscans' search for a Catholic community to become legal sponsors of the school. Alverno continues its founding tradition as an independent, Catholic, college-preparatory school for girls.

The Villa plays a large role in Alverno life. The annual Festival of Haunts has terrified thousands of brave visitors; the Winter Formal dance is an elegant event; the Father/Daughter Dance is an enduring tradition; and Alverno mothers and daughters enjoy the Mass and Brunch each spring. The Villa also makes Alverno's annual Gala celebration a very special event.

Film companies frequently use the Villa as a movie location. A few of the movies that have been filmed at the Villa are both Legally Blonde movies, The Princess Diaries, A Walk in the Clouds, and True Lies. The Villa also appears in a number of catalogues and television ads.