History of the Estate

Nestled in a sumptuous valley near Lugano, Switzerland on the Swiss-Italian border sits a 234 year old estate home called  Gioia del Cigno. Translated to "Swan's Joy" or "the joy of the swan" the estate gets its name for the multiple serene ponds that dot the outer property that are home to mated pairs of white swans in the Spring and Summer seasons.  The estate is known regionally for the façade laced with ballet slipper pink Alpine Roses that spectators would come from miles around to catch of glimpse of  during open house days and stay through the evening drinking glühwein by the fireside to see the pairs of swans around Gioia del Cigno's grounds take flight and cross over the powder white moon.

This estimable Estate that in present day houses the Rosewood Institute was previously owned by the Werner-Woods family. The family are a Swiss-Italian-German banking family with multiple estate homes and holdings and interests throughout France, Monaco, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy. Philanthropically, they are devoted to preservation of the wild horse populations in the United States and devoted to causes related to maternal health across the world.


The youngest daughter of the Werner-Woods lineage, Rose Woods (1935 - 2019), the late (but always on time) Rosalyn Beatrice Werner Woods was Rosewood Institute founder and headmistress Mischaela's mentor. In the event of Rose's passing, her will and final testament (which just so happened to be on pink letter paper and scented because it gave it something extra) bequeathed the then dove gray Gioia del Cigno estate to Mischaela under only one condition: that Mischaela blend the wisdom imparted by Rose Woods with her own intuitive wisdom and learnings and commit these teachings to print. Taking this a step further, Mischaela elected to not only publish 3 self-help books....she felt it necessary to create a modern day finishing school, Rosewood Institute, to impart timeless wisdom to countless women globally.

Continue reading below to learn more about Rose Woods and her legacy.

Rose Woods

Rose Woods was born Rosalyn Beatrice Werner Woods in Monaco in 1935 at the Monaco Hospital that would later become known as the Princess Grace Hospital Center. The family's vacation in Monaco cut short by Rose who was born a month early. They promptly brought her back to the familial estate - Gioia del Cigno. A lively and intelligent girl, she was deeply interested in equestrian sports, academics, and later relayed to her shocked mother that she aspired to be an airplane wing dancer as a matter of profession. Educated at a girl's school until the age of 18, she completed a University degree at the University of Zurich, and she was then shuttled to finishing school the summer after University at age 21. She attended the famed and equally fabled Institut Villa Montreaux and was finished by a bevy of German Countesses, English Duchesses, and a woman who was both a bejeweled Maharani and a barrister. Her roommate during her 18 months of Finishing School was one particularly gorgeous aquamarine eyed Egyptian princess whom she remained lifelong friends with. Rose supported herself as a model even serving as a fit model for Christian Dior and presenting his wedding dress creations in atelier shows in the late 1950s to early 1960s. In this time she dated a number of interesting and interestED parties including a German count with ties to the Swarovski enterprise, a few English earls and barons, and a young man who would later play Dracula a truly impressive amount of times before passing in Chelsea, London at the age of 93. (Rose felt his performance in the LOTR films was truly awe-inspiring as he played an evil wizard and the man in question was nothing short of kind, gentle, and anything but evil.) It is said that the Jo Malone fragrance "Red Roses" was named after Rose Woods herself and formulated to emulate the soft and tender scent of Rose's beloved Alpine roses that surround Gioia del Cigno after the rain mixed with 6 other rose varietals nestled in a bed of honey and fresh cut lemon - two aspects that reminded Rose of summers in Porto Cervo with her cousins. Rose once made a pact at Finishing School with the aforementioned Princess of Egypt that they would "never forget that diamonds aren't for daytime and emeralds are for everywhere, and that they'd never forget each other, or what they had learned at the School." This time period at the Finishing School was a formative and transcendent moment for Rose Woods, and in that same spirit her legacy lives on in the curriculum and maxims of Rosewood Institute.

Virtual Visit of the Grounds

Indulge in a virtual visit to the Finishing School grounds to see the unparalleled luxury and refined healing environement.

From the posh admissions office to the well appointed and always busy library...the Rosewood Institute grounds will hold you spellbound with possibilities. Find the most self-actualized you at our hallowed academy and step into the life you deserve.
Virtual Tour of the Rosewood Institute grounds...