The Italian Opulence In Lake Como Villas: A Roundup of 41 Awesome Historic Mansions [Central Lake Como area]
Villa Carlotta
Let’s go ahead with our selection of the most charming historic mansions of Lake Como, this time focusing on the central area of the lake: Menaggio, Sala Comacina, Tremezzina and other awesome and exclusive locations of our lake.
The majority of these spectacular villas are not open to the public, but it’s anyhow cool to know their history and their fun facts. After all, they are part of Lake Como cultural heritage.
Ready for this jump into the glorious past of Lake Como?
SALA COMACINA
Villa Beccaria Rachele
Villa Rachele lets you glimpse its enviable garden only from the lake, from which you can clearly see an impressively huge cedar of Lebanon plus twelve plane trees.
Source: MyLakeComo.co
Fun fact: The villa, which belonged to Giulio Beccaria, son of the famous Cesare (author of “Dei delitti e delle pene"), was for a long time home for intellectuals and writers; also Alessandro Manzoni, Giulio's nephew, was a common guest.
Later, in the 19th century, the villa became the seat of a literary salon called “Accademia dei pedanti”: basically a group of writers, critics and artists, who - in summer - used to gather in an artificial cave built inside the park.
Rachele Martelli, one of the latest owners, wrote a novel here: “Col fuoco non si scherza” (1901), mainly set in the villa itself.
OSSUCCIO (TREMEZZINA)
Villa Balbiano
Source: Nessi & Majocchi
Villa Balbiano is an awe-inspiring jewel that once belonged to the famous Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, who built it at the end of 16th century and used it as his main residence. A century later, the villa was embellished by Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini, who used the Villa to host a long series of festivals and banquets.
Nowadays, Villa Balbiano is the largest private residence on Lake Como.
From Strada Regina in Ossuccio you can see the iconic private driveway of the villa, with an elegant fountain in the middle.
Fun fact: Gwen Stefani shot the video of her hit “What You’re Waiting For” right in the gardens of Villa Balbiano!
Villa Trincani Della Torre
Dating back to 17th century, Villa della Torre is quite an atypical waterfront villa, as it doesn’t have a large and sumptuous garden like the other dwellings of Lake Como.
Source: myLakeComo.co
Fun fact: during the 17th century indeed some agricultural settlements - houses of the master and his farmers - were modernized to become representative dwellings to host the rich families coming from the city. That’s exactly what happened to Villa della Torre, formerly a rural building: you can spot this aspect just looking at the three central arches that were added in an attempt to increase the feeling of depth.
Villa Leoni
Villa Leoni, located right in from of the terrific Isola Comacina in Ossuccio, is a rare example of rationalist architecture perfectly maintained. The villa features a wise use of local materials like Moltrasio and Valmalenco stones, as well as marble from Musso.
The villa was commissioned in 1938 to the famous rationalist architect Pietro Lingeri. It’s with the last restoration just concluded that the villa, bound to the Cultural Heritage since classified as a historical monument, is back to its former glory.
As you probably know if you’re passionate about architecture, Lake Como Rationalism is characterized by the geometric rigor of the construction, the functionality of the rooms and the use of modern technologies.
Fun fact: The colors of the villa were chosen by Lingeri according to a personal chromatic program, attentive to the light gradation: the main facade is finished in squared eggshell stucco, the external windows in olive green fir and the patio beams are painted in salmon pink.
LENNO (TREMEZZINA)
Villa del Balbianello
Useless to say, Villa Balbianello is one of the most stunning mansions (and symbols) of Lake Como. The villa is located on a wooded promontory and enjoys a 360° lake view: it’s the only property on the lake which such a privilege!
Source: ilviaggiochevale.it
This elegant, romantic 18th century mansion and its magnificent garden have hosted writers, scholars and travelers, including Count and Explorer Guido Monzino, the last private owner of the villa.
Fun fact: If you’re a bookaholic, you’ll love this: in the lodge of the villa there’s the so called Hall of Cartographer, a room that holds a complete set of old and precious maps, many of which were used by Monzino in his explorations around the world. In the adjacent library are kept more than 4.000 volumes collected by the explorer in years of research. To make the library a place even more impressive are its secret passageways that connect it directly to the villa.
Villa Aureggi
This awesome private villa dating back to 1886 - another wonderful example of eclectic style - overlooks the terrific Golfo di Venere in Lenno, one of the most sought-after venues of Lake Como.
Source: Plumbago Capensis
Fun fact: in its garden there’s a very rare specimen of Osmanthus.
Villa La Cassinella
You’ll for sure already spotted this luxury jewel during one of your boat trip in Tremezzina: we’re talking about Villa La Cassinella, one of the most iconic mansions of Lake Como, and unquestionably one of the world's finest and most exclusive retreats.
Source: www.villalacassinella.com
It’s located pretty close to Villa del Balbianello, on Punta di Lavedo promontory.
The villa has been restored in the 1920s by Engineer Carlo Mantegazza.
Fun facts: The villa is reachable exclusively via boat: that’s why is grants the utmost of privacy to its guests.
MEZZEGRA (TREMEZZINA)
Villa I Platani
The villa belonged to the great industrial Ercole Marelli from Milano, one of the symbols of Italian enterprise.
Source: lakecomoville.altervista.org
Fun fact: in this villa there’s the highest “oriental plane” of Italy, with 43 meters in height and a trunk of 8 meters circumference. A real giant. According to authoritative estimates, it could have around 350 years.
TREMEZZO
Villa Silvestri
This is another amazing example of Lombard rationalist architecture on Lake Como. Architect Lingeri here chose to use many elements derived from naval architecture, like portholes and metal parapets.
Source: myLakeComo.co
Fun fact: The villa is built on the foundations of an old shipyard.
Villa Bolivianina & Villa Mainoni
In a very suggestive scenario, facing the Bellagio peninsula, the complex of Villa Boliviana and Villa Mainona stands out for its historical, architectural, landscape and botanical importance. Both are an example of a patrician residence intended for a holiday on the lake.
The Mainoni brothers built their villa thanks to the great wealth they had accumulated as lemon merchants. In fact, in the large garden of Villa Mainona, there was a terraced part intended for the production of citrus fruits: lemons, oranges and cedars.
Fun fact: the two villas host the Ecomuseum of the Larian region.
Villa Albertoni Pirelli “Carlia”
You can immediately recognize the neoclassical Villa Albertoni Pirelli thanks to its scenic staircase that connects it to the main road in Tremezzo, right next to the fabulous Villa Sola Cabiati.
Source: lakecomoville.altervista.org
The building features a sober appearance and it’s composed of a three-storey quadrangular block punctuated by stone frames.
Fun fact: The villa was built in 1676 by Tommaso De Carli di Volesio, to whom the name "Carlia" refers.
Villa Sola Cabiati, aka “Villa Quiete”
It’s really impossible not to notice this neoclassical masterpiece in Tremezzo, a few meters from the water along Strada Regina.
www.grandhoteltremezzo.com
The villa has always been a private retreat for the summer holidays, hence its nickname “Villa Quiete”, i.e “the villa of calm”.
Villa Sola Cabiati harks back to the hedonism of the Belle Époque, with elaborate halls boasting stuccoes and frescoes by renowned artists of the day, and priceless collections of tapestries, paintings, majolica and Chinese vases.
Fun fact: The Italian-style garden is organized in four large parterres with flower beds which, from the windows of the villa, recall an embroidery with sinuous scrolls.
Villa Meier
In the ‘20s of the 20th century, Meier family asked architect Lingeri to plan the renovation of this villa and all its adjacent lots, in order to set the neoclassical architecture in a romantic park, characterized by perspective views, paths, fountains, new buildings, installations and monumental entrances.
Fun fact: today the waterfront park of the villa, aka Parco Teresio Olivelli, has become public. In 2007 a hard work of restoration has brought the fountain and the central staircase to their former glory, removing the deposits left by the passage of time.
Source: e-borghi.com
Villa Carlotta
Villa Carlotta was built at the end of XVII century by the Milanese marquis Giorgio Clerici: an important but sober building, with an Italian garden decorated with sculptures, stairs and fountains.
Source: Ph Diego Bonacina (via Wikimedia Creative Commons)
It was with Gian Battista Sommariva, the following owner, that the villa attained the summit of its splendour.
The villa became a temple of XIX century art with works of Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez and part of the park was transformed in a fascinating romantic garden. Sommariva’s heirs sold the villa in 1843 to Princess Marianne of Nassau, who gave it as a present to her daughter Carlotta in occasion of her wedding with Georg II of Saxen-Meiningen.
Fun fact: Georg and Carlotta married for love, which was pretty rare for the time. The young Carlotta gave birth to 3 children, but died giving birth to the fourth. He was only 23 years old.
BELLAGIO
Villa Trotti
This villa in San Giovanni - a remarkably quaint district of Bellagio - is a pretty one-of-a-kind example of Moorish style villa. Today, the mansion is divided into luxury apartments for rent.
Fun fact: in the 18th century a descendent of Marquis Ludovico Trotti, returning from a trip to the east and north Africa, modified the façade in Moorish style and created a tropical water garden with ornamental plants in Japan, China and Korea.
Villa Trivulzio
Built by the lake in the second half of the 18th century, the property was later expanded and renovated. The park also includes the Romanesque church of Santa Maria di Loppia, restored by its owners, the Counts Gerli.
Source: mapio.net
Today the villa is private, not open to the public.
Fun fact: there’s a painting called “Rosa Trivulzio in Villa Bellagio” depicting Rosa on a balcony of this villa, holding a sketchbook and pencils. The painting is stored in the house museum Poldi Pezzoli in Milan.
Villa Orlando
Another stunning waterfront villa in Bellagio, bought in 1920 by the renowned naval architect Luigi Orlando.
Source: vovcollection.com
Fun fact: The members of the Orlando family were active participants in the economic revival of the country, and used to spend their free time in the peace of this awesome villa.
Villa Melzi d’Eril
It will be enough to say that Villa Melzi d’Eril is a National Monument of Italy.
Source: booking.bellagiolakecomo.com
The stunning garden covers 800 meters along the coast and is incredibly rich in rare and exotic plants: there are centuries-old trees, hedges of camellias, forests of azaleas and giant rhododendrons, stones and monuments, boats and relics of historical and artistic value.
By the lake there’s the famous Kiosk of Moorish style, white and azure, where Liszt used to compose its music..
Fun facts: Stendhal and Liszt were common guests of the villa.
Another fun fact: in the movie "Frankenstein beyond the frontiers of time”, the villa where Mary Shelley writes her most famous book is actually Villa Melzi.
Villa Placida (formerly Villa Galimberti)
Villa Placida was built at the end of the 19th century by the American banker Asmick, in the charming hamlet of San Giovanni. In recent years the villa has been used as a luxury residence.
Source: lakecomoville.altervista.org
Fun fact: To make room to build this villa, Asmick destroyed a handful of houses, two silk factories and three villas. An old local saying said: "l'è rua l'Amsink cunt i so can and he destroyed it mezz San Giuan, literally “Amsick has arrived with his dogs and has destroyed half of San Giovanni”.
Villa Giulia
A sober neoclassical villa located in a raised position in Bellagio: pure elegance!
Ph Marco Marchetti via Wikicommons
Fun fact: it’s one of the few villas of Lake Como that enjoys a double perspective: an impressive view both on the Como branch and on the Lecco one!
GRIANTE
Villa Petra
Villa Petra was built by Guaita family in the 1920s: they furnished it with very refined taste, and collected works of art of inestimable value (Ming porcelain, paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and the Piazzetta, carvings by Brustolon).
Fun fact: The villa hosts the headquarters of the International Piano Foundation “Theo Lieven”. Here every year seven pianists from all over the world have the opportunity to study with illustrious artists of international fame.
Villa Norella
Villa Norella was built in the late 19th century in a sunny position overlooking the lake. Its garden descends in crags towards the Statale Regina.
Its first owner was Mr. Murchison, a cultured man of great artistic ability.
Fun fact: On the facade of the Anglican church (located at the foot of the garden of Villa Norella), Mr. Murchison left two mosaics of excellent workmanship he made as a pastime.
Villa La Collina
Villa La Collina stands on a hill overlooking the lake with the splendid scenery of the Grigne and the promontory of Bellagio opposite.
Source: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Its position and the amenity of the place made it chosen as the summer residence of the First Chancellor of the German Republic, Konrad Adenauer. The villa was later purchased by Konrad Adenauer Foundation which made it an international congress center. Today Villa La Collina is also an exclusive hotel.
Fun fact: Adenauer always liked to walk together with his secretaries and his daughters from his summer residence through the village to the local boccia court, directly behind Villa La Collina.
Villa Margherita Ricordi
Villa Margherita Ricordi was built in 1853 on commission by publisher Giulio Ricordi. It’s an easily identifiable villa, thanks to the elegant inscription Margherita on the pediment, the clock with two sculptures (probably allegorical representations of Music and Poetry) and the great hemicycle hall, once dedicated to small concerts.
Source: myLakeComo.co
Fun fact: In this place Giuseppe Verdi, often a guest at Villa Ricordi, composed some pieces of his Traviata.
The memoirs of the time tells of “divine evenings” when from the villa you could catch the magical encounter between the harmonies of human art and music by Verdi playing his spinet in front of the lake.
Villa Rosa
Villa Rosa, built in 1904 by the Germans Heck, is located on a wide plateau and is characterized by a romantic and shady avenue that descends towards the lake shore.
We’re madly in love with the large fresco on the facade, depicting a lady in awesome blue dress.
Fun fact: Villa Rosa was the first to host Konrad Adenauer in 1956.
Villa Breakwater
A contemporary luxury waterfront masterpiece, with local stone at sight: Villa Breakwater is a quintessentially modern building with industrial features. If you’re interested, you can rent it: it can host up to 16 guests!
Source: breakwatercomo.com
Fun fact: the villa was formerly a boatyard (dating back to 1922), and many features have been perfectly maintained. An awesome example of conservative restoration!
Villa il Giumello
Summer residence of Roncoroni family since 1920, the villa has been enriched with the construction of a dock.
Fun fact: originally, the villa was a two-storey farmhouse with porch on the ground floor, then ennobled with the renovation by engineer Roncoroni from Milano.
Villa Bonaventura
Villa Bonaventura was built in 1891. The building, surrounded by a large park with flower beds and tall trees, develops with a block system over three floors; on the ground floor the façade is characterized by the three arched porch that precedes the entrance and supports the balcony of the noble floor.
Fun fact: The first owner of the villa was Pietro Sada, who was the first to bring in Italy the new conservation of canned meat methodologies. The idea was so revolutionary that Mr. Sada became synonymous with progress.
Villa Maresi
Villa Maresi is one of the most particular mansions on Lake Como: a spectacular pinkish neo-gothic villa with immaculate english garden.
Fun fact: the villa was built on the ruins of an ancient medieval castle that was part of the system of fortifications dating back to the Franco-Hispanic war that ended in 1529.
Engineer Giacomo Mantegazza, who followed the renovation works, was sent to Britain to study the English Gothic Revival style.
VARENNA
Villa Monastero
Villa Monastero is the result of the eclectic transformation of an ancient Cistercian women’s monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary, built at the end of the 12th century.
Source: Varenna Turismo
The villa was owned by different families – from Mornico of Valsassina, to Alessandro Manzoni’s first wife, to Walter Kees, and finally to the Swiss-born De Marchi from Milano.
Today the villa is used as a Congress Centre of public benefit. The crowning glory of Villa Monastero is the awesome garden, packed with rare and exotic botanical species, which stretches for almost 2 km along the lakefront from Varenna to Fiumelatte.
Fun fact: In 2004, Villa Monastero was recognized as a museum by Lombardy Region.
Villa Cipressi
Villa Cipressi is a group of buildings and gardens rich of history, built mainly from 1400 to 1800.
In 1864 the villa became the property of Andreossi family, that restructured it in late neoclassical style. Since the beginning, it worked very well as a hotel: among its guests there was the Emperor of Austria Ferdinand I and his family, who visited Varenna in 1938.
In 1980 the villa was bought by a group of private volunteers from Varenna: today it hosts many cultural events, together with Villa Monastero.
Fun fact: Among the guests of Villa Cipressi there have been eminent personalities like Nobel Rubbia, Bardeen, Alfven, Cooper, Schrieffer and other illustrious scientists and teachers of the most important Italian and foreign universities.
MENAGGIO and surroundings
Villa Valsecchi, Villa Vigoni, Villa Olivetta, Villa Bagatti
In Menaggio we mention three villas that it’s worth to admire from the outside.
First is Villa Olivetta: there are no historic documents publicly available about this mysterious waterfront villa, we know just the name and its hypothetical period of building (mid XIX century). It’s incredibly charming in its evocative location, far from the town center, surrounded by the wild greenery. Its tall and narrow chimney and its amazing bow windows add a pretty impressive curb appeal.
Source: Lombardia Beni Culturali
Villa Valsecchi and Villa Vigoni are not on the lakefront, but still deserve a mention as they are just marvelous. Villa Valsecchi in Loveno is an outstanding example of Art Nouveau mansion, decorated with floral motifs, with female figures placed in large niches on the facade; Villa Vigoni, dating back to XVIII century, is part of an association in the field of cultural relations between Italy and Germany; Villa Bagatti is located in the old hamlet of Cardano, in Grandola ed Uniti, and boasts a terrific medieval look with stone at sight.
SAN SIRO
Villa La Gaeta (…and its copy: Villa Pessina)
This masterpiece, dating back to 1921, has become famous in 2006 with 007 Casino Royale movie.
La Gaeta boasts an unbridled eclectic style: the liberty elements intertwine with the medieval layout with an intense superimposition of graffiti, frescoes and chromatic contrasts.
Fun fact: the monumentality that distinguishes Villa La Gaeta gave rise to a copy in Bolvedro, Tremezzina: Villa Pessina. The villa was commissioned by Pessina family, but there is no news of who was the designer who reused the same elements of Gaeta. For this reason, a long lawsuit on "plagiarism" is known.
The villas are actually not identical in terms of decorative elements, albeit at first glance it might seem.
Villa Camilla
This villa dates back to 1859.
The interiors are of incomparable beauty: Venetian flooring, late 19th century prints, turned wooden stairs, statues and frescoes from the 18th century.
GRAVEDONA ed UNITI
Palazzo Gallio
This impressive construction which dominates the town was built onto a jutting and rocky spit between the mountains and the lake.
Source: North Lake Como
The magnificent dwelling was ordered in 1586 by Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, Secretary of State at the service of the papal throne. Having been appointed a few years earlier by the county of the Tre Pievi, Gravedona, Sorico and Dongo, he assigned the realization of the building to Pellegrino Tibaldi, the architect of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo.
Fun fact: The mansion was used by the French and the Spanish as a hospital until the early 1800s. The palace is also called “Palace of the four towers”.
LIMONTA
Villa Aura del Lago
Located in “Poncetta” in Limonta, Villa Aura del Lago was formerly the private house of the owner who managed the surrounding fields and vineyards. The Guido family has been the proud owner of this property since the beginning of the 1900s. The villa itself dates back to the middle of the 19th century, with additional buildings added at a later date in keeping with the original style.
Fun fact: some of the annexes were also once used for silkworm breeding, to supply local silk manufacturers with the raw material.
Villa Aura del Lago
Sources: www.gurrieriassociati.it; Lombardia Beni Culturali; Lake Como Ville
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