Lake Como and Bellagio excursion (no stops at villas)
Cruise by city ferry or private boat (2 hours) along the shores of the lake to the cape town of Bellagio – then a walking tour.
Lunch at the inn Locanda dell’Isola Comacina – with dishes prepared according to smugglers’ recipes.
You won’t just see the villa where Hollywood star George Clooney lives, one of the versions of Clooney’s appearance in Laglio says that once the actor was riding his Harley along Lake Como and his motorbike broke down in the town. Fixing the motorbike mechanics did not recognise Clooney as a Hollywood star. During the repairs, Clooney had just enough time to take a closer look at Lallo. The actor was so charmed by the place that he soon purchased Villa Oleandra and had it completely cleaned up.
Villa Serbelloni, Hotel was purchased by Princess Ella Walker, who left it to the Rockefeller Foundation in 1959. Today, Villa Serbelloni is used as a hotel and meeting place for scholars. Among the famous guests staying at the villa when it was still owned by Sfonderati, we can mention: Emperor Maximilian I, Leonardo da Vinci, Ludovico il Moro, Bianca Sforza, Cardinal Borromeo. In the nineteenth century the guests included: Pellico, Moroncelli, Emperor Franz I, Queen Victoria, Kaiser Wilhelm, Umberto I; the writers Manzoni, Grossi, Pindemonte.
Villa Pliniana is one of the most beautiful and oldest on Lake Como. It was named in honour of Pliny the Younger (61 – 114), a Roman senator originally from Como. The villa inspired the writer Fogazzaro for his novel “Malombra” and is haunted.
Villa Balbianello is world-famous for its elegant terraced gardens and the Hollywood films that have been filmed on its grounds. It is a member of the “Great Gardens of Italy” association. where “Star Wars” and “Casino Royale” were filmed.
You will also hear stories of kings, musicians, dancers, businessmen who spent the best days of their lives in these villas and dedicated poems, sonatas and memoirs to them. John F. Kennedy, Alfred Hitchcock, singer Madonna, Robert De Niro and many others from the “starry world” loved these places for their holidays.
In Bellagio you will walk through the unique park of the private villa Melzi, climb the steep staircases, where shops with a variety of souvenirs, from silk and leather goods to olive wood crockery and lace.
If you would like to visit any of the villas, please check with the managers about the duration of the tour and the possibility of visiting.
