Description:
Villa del Balbianello in Lenno is located on the tip of the Lavedo peninsula, a wooded promontory that pushes out into Lake Como, from which the villa took its name.
Thanks to its unique position, the villa offers splendid views.
It was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for the Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. After the cardinal’s death in 1796 Giuseppe Arconati Visconti bought the villa and made improvements to its gardens and the loggia.
In the nineteenth century Villa Balbianello belonged to the Porro-Lambertenghi family. The villa fell into disrepair until the U.S. official Butler Ames, immediately after World War I, purchased it and renovated the garden and the entire complex. In 1974 it was bought by the explorer Guido Monzino, who furnished it with memorabilia from his expeditions. Monzino, who died in 1988, left the villa to the Italian Environment Fund.
The complex is formed by two squared constructions and a loggia with a splendid view of the gulfs of “Venus” and “Diana”. The Villa has a lovely dock with staircase leading to the garden.
The true masterpiece of Villa Balbianello is the panoramic terraced garden with craggy rocks where lawns, hedges, cypresses and chestnut trees can be seen throughout.
The peninsula is characterised by a shortage of land, significantly hindering the introduction of new plants. Consequently it wasn’t possible to create an Italian garden, although numerous laurel and boxwood hedges border the property with geometric precision and grassy lawns can be found here, nor an English garden.
The Balbianello Garden is a world in itself, where everything is created in relation to the lake and its shores, where nothing must distract one’s attention from the water.
On the upper floor of the villa, the expedition room is dedicated to the display of relics and mementos from Guido Monzino’s explorations.
The Loggia houses the “map room” which contains a complete set of maps used by Count Guido Monzino during his explorations. The walls are hung with numerous period prints depicting views of Lake Como.
The loggia of Villa Balbianello, which Cardinal Durini ordered to be built slightly above the house, is located in the central part of the tip, and is the true architectural invention of Balbianello. This spot is located parallel to the peninsula and allows you to view the landscapes Tremezzina, the true heart of Lake Como, and the basin near Comacina Island at the same time.
A few minutes boat ride from the villa is the tip of the Dosso d'Avedo where, at the end of the eighteenth century, the only things that remained were the Romanesque ruins of a small Franciscan church and a steep staircase overlooking the lake.
The villa, located in the beautiful village of Lenno, can be visited from mid-March to mid-November every day except Mondays and Wednesdays that do not fall on holidays.
Points of interest:
Bellagio: 15 minutes by boat
Cernobbio (Villa d'Este), Como: 35 minutes by boat
Menaggio (golf): 20 minutes by boat
Lugano (shops, casino): 1 hour by boat and car, 20 minutes by seaplane
Milan (city, airports), approx. 1 hour
St. Moritz: 2 hours by boat and car, 30 minutes by seaplane
Villa Balbianello is also a tourist destination for foreigners and Italians that want to admire the place where the American director George Lucas filmed an episode of the Star Wars saga, and in particular the kissing scene between Luke and Phafne. Como is a holiday destination for many foreigners who choose to stay at the luxury hotels or decide to search for villas to rent on the lake.
