Large, very impressive villas perch on Lake Como’s shore. Although most of them are privately owned, some are open to the public.
Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
Wealth from the textile trade funded the Clerici’s family’s early 18th-century construction of Villa Carlotta, in Tremezzo. The property acquired its current name in 1843, when Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, the wife of Prince Albert of Prussia bought the property as a present for her daughter, Carlotta, when she married Georg of Sachsen-Meiningen. Villa Carlotta remained in the Sachsen-Meiningen until World War I.
Villa Carlotta has both cultural and botanical riches.
The villa’s interior has neo-classical works of art, painted ceilings and French Empire-style furniture. Highlights are Bertel Thorvaldesen’s high relief marble frieze of The Triumphal Entrance of Alexander into Babylon, several works by Antonio Canova and some Gobelin tapestries.
Views of the gardens from the second floor soon tempt visitors to wander through the park and formal Italianate garden. The 14-acre grounds have 500 species of plants, an amazing variety from banana trees to sequoias. Late spring brings a flamboyant profusion of blooming azaleas, planted in mounds of vibrant pinks and reds.
The best spot to be on Lake Como on a Sunday morning in the spring? It’s on a bench in Villa Carlotta’s secluded uphill area of streams, beech trees, Japanese maples and tree ferns. Few, if any, visitors venture this far, so you’ll have the symphony of singing birds in the trees and the ringing of church bells floating across the lake from Bellagio all to yourself.
Villa Melzi, Bellagio
It’s a five-to ten-minute walk from Bellagio’s boat landing to Villa Melzi. The complex of several buildings and expansive gardens was constructed for Francesco Melzi d’Eril, who served as Vice President of the Italian Republic under Napoleon.
The path begins in the Japanese garden, where delicate Japanese maples surround a pond graced with a small bridge. The path continues along the lake, under plane trees carefully pruned into umbrella shapes.
Although the large white villa itself is not open to the public, several small buildings offer a glimpse of the property’s history. An appealing blue and white Moorish pavilion has a few sculptures and a panoramic view of Lake Como. The former orangerie is now a small museum containing some artifacts from the Napoleonic period. Intricate plaster ceiling rosettes and frescoes decorate the neo-classic chapel.
Villa del Balbianello, Lenno
With its gorgeous setting on the tip of a steep promontory that has one of Lake Como most stunning views, Villa del Balbianello is absolutely enchanting. Even though it’s smaller than Villa Carlotta and Villa Melzi, Villa del Balbianello definitely is the most romantic.
Cypress trees frame terraced gardens, and plane trees line a winding path bordering the lawn that slopes to the lake. Wisteria, azaleas, rhododendrons and box hedges form a formal garden.
The soft gold loggia is Villa del Bablianello’s elegant highlight. Vines trained in an intriguing twisting pattern cover its walls and its three arcades. Pots of red geraniums perch on the loggia’s intricately carved stone railing.
By Lake Como standards, the villa itself is small. The interior, renovated by the last owner, Italian explorer Guido Monzino, can be visited only on guided tours. Monzino was the first Italian to climb Mount Everest (1973) and he also reached the North Pole. The beautiful rooms have 18th-century French and English antiques, crystal chandeliers and a fine collection of Chinese, African and pre-Columbian art. The dark wood paneled Map Room and a small exhibition space have artifacts and documents associated with Monzino’s adventurous life. In 1988, Monzino left the villa to the Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano, an organization similar to the U.K.’s National Trust.
Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini built the villa in 1787. A small church with twin campanili stands above the boat landing.
Villa del Balbianello has appeared two movies, “Casino Royale” and “Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.”
Take a boat or the one-kilometer path from Lenno’s church square to Villa Balbianello. The hours of boat service and path accessibility vary. For details on the hours, tours and access to Villa del Balbianello.
These villas are open from mid-March through November. From late April to mid-June, the azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom. You can often see mounds of their brilliant blooms from across the lake.
