Historic House
Villa del Balbianello
Lake Como · Lombardy
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Historic House
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Lake Como · Lombardy
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Villa del Balbianello is the 18th-century villa on the tip of the Dosso di Lavedo, a wooded promontory at Lenno on the lake’s western shore. Built in 1787 for Cardinal Angelo Durini, it is reached only by a lakeside path or by boat, and its terraced gardens, loggias and statues are among the most beautiful on the lake. The last owner was the explorer Guido Monzino, who led the first Italian ascent of Everest and filled the villa with his expedition collections; it is now a museum of the FAI, the Italian National Trust. The villa has appeared in several films, including Casino Royale and Star Wars: Episode II.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini built the villa in 1787 on the promontory as a retreat, with loggias opening onto the lake and a garden of terraces and statues. It passed through several owners — including the banker Marco d’Adda, who added the twin loggias — until it was bought in 1974 by Guido Monzino, a Milanese industrialist and mountaineer who led the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest in 1973. Monzino restored the villa and filled it with his collection of art, maps and expedition memorabilia, and on his death in 1988 he left it to the FAI, which opened it to the public as a museum.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The twin loggias — the covered terraces at the villa’s front, framing the lake through arches and statues.
The terraced gardens — the cypress avenues, the statues and the views over the two branches of the lake.
The Monzino museum — the explorer’s collection of art, maps, Chinese porcelain and Everest expedition memorabilia, in the rooms he left them in.
The approach — the walk along the lakeside path from Lenno, or the boat landing at the villa’s own jetty.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Balbianello is the villa that most completely combines the lake’s two identities — the aristocratic retreat and the explorer’s museum. Its setting on a wooded promontory, reachable only by water or by a lakeside path, is the most romantic on the lake, and its gardens are the most photographed. For a visitor, it is the single villa that best repays the boat trip to reach it.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Villa del Balbianello
Villa del Balbianello, Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy
45.9947, 9.2347
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Lake Como
%22%2F%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%22600%22%20cy%3D%22300%22%20r%3D%2290%22%20fill%3D%22%23c8a06a%22%20opacity%3D%220.35%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20620%20L300%20420%20L520%20560%20L760%20360%20L1000%20540%20L1200%20460%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%23a97c50%22%20opacity%3D%220.22%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20700%20L260%20540%20L480%20640%20L720%20500%20L980%20620%20L1200%20560%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%2320241f%22%20opacity%3D%220.14%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Trattoria San Giacomo — a beloved local trattoria in Bellagio for lake fish and risotto, no reservations
Ristorante La Vista — the terrace restaurant at Hotel Albergo Milano in Varenna, with lake views and refined cooking
Al Prato — a quiet garden restaurant in Bellagio for modern Italian cooking, book ahead
Vecchia Varenna — a canal-side trattoria in Varenna for traditional lake cooking
Gatto Nero — a family-run restaurant on the Brunate hill above Como, with the view and the cooking to match
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Grand Hotel Tremezzo — a grand lakeside hotel at Tremezzo with a floating pool and gardens, opposite Bellagio
Hotel Florence — a charming hotel in the centre of Bellagio, with a garden and a restaurant
Albergo Milano — a family-run hotel in Varenna with lake-view rooms and a terrace restaurant
Hotel Du Lac — a simple, well-placed hotel on the Varenna waterfront, good value
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
PART OF
Keep exploring
The atlas goes on — more attractions, destinations and stories from every corner of the world.