Those who find a villa in Lake Como will quickly discover that one of the best activities to be enjoyed in the area is to take a boat trip over the glittering waters of the lake, out to one of the islands or lakeside locations that are occupied by a stunning luxurious historic villa. There, you can spend a lovely day wandering through gorgeous interiors adorned with great works of art and explore fragrant and elaborate formal gardens framed by remarkable lake views. Among the several examples of excellent options on hand, Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo may have the dreamiest gardens and quite possibly the most incredible art collection, featuring works by Canova, Francesco Hayez, Bertel Thorvaldsen, and Giovanni Migliara…
When was Villa Carlotta built?
Built originally for the Clerici family by an unknown architect in the 18th century, the same family lost much of their fortune in the pursuit of the creation of their palace in Milan. As a result, Villa Carlotta, their holiday home, had to be sold just a few decades after it was completed to the Sommariva family. Under its new owners, it was altered to suit changing tastes, many of the famous artworks were added, a chapel and mausoleum were built, and part of the gardens were adapted to a romantic garden in the English style.
Who is Villa Carlotta named for?
The villa was bought by Princess Marianna in 1843 who then gave it to her daughter Charlotte as a wedding present when she married Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen in 1847. While the property was renamed Villa Carlotta in her honour, Charlotte only got to enjoy the villa for eight years before dying at the age of 23 in 1855 due to complications in childbirth. The Sachsen-Meiningen family continued to use the house as a holiday home and made few changes to it but did sell some of the art collection and, under the enthusiastic hobby-botanist Duke Georg, expanded the gardens and added exotic plants. Today, the villa is open to the public, under the care of a charitable foundation called the Ente Villa Carlotta.
How do you visit Villa Carlotta?
Visitors who come to the villa can tour the interior, which is partially open as a museum, and explore the gardens. Both regular tours and themed tours are available to guests.
How do you get to Villa Carlotta?
Guests who are staying nearby in a holiday rental in Lake Como can drive or get a bus from Como or boat from Varenna or Como while those who are staying in one of our vacation rentals in Milan can get the train to Varenna Esino before continuing to the villa by boat with Navigazione Lago di Como.
What are the highlights of Villa Carlotta?
There are endless reasons to visit Villa Carlotta and so much to see and take in in the house and grounds. All of these things are worth paying attention to but, of course, attention spans are limited so if we were to recommend our personal highlights while you’re visiting, this would be what we think you should focus on:
The Views – Villa Carlotta faces the Bellagio peninsula and offers guests some truly stunning and particularly picturesque views over Lake Como, with many vistas framed by greenery, sculptures, doorways, and other elements of the gardens and buildings. Be sure to stop regularly and appreciate the incredible beauty of these views.
Eros and Psyche by Adamo Tadolini – While the sculpture collection at large at Villa Carlotta is excellent, this example is striking to many. A marble copy that was taken from the model used by Canova for the famous original sculpture commissioned by Prince Nikolay Yusupov and on display in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, this exquisite copy is a gem. If you’re a Canova fan, meanwhile, there is also his original work, Palamedes, and an original plaster model of The Muse Terpsichore by Canova, a copy of Canova’s Repentant Magdalene by his school.
The Last Adieu of Romeo and Juliet by Francesco Hayez – Among the painted works of the art collection, this piece is probably the highlight.
The Bamboo Garden – This peaceful space in the gardens is spread over 3000m2 and is home to over 25 different bamboo species as well as beautiful architectural elements that evoke the elegant gardens of the East.
The Citrus Tunnels – This shady, fragrant, and lovely part of the gardens houses citron, sour orange, mandarin, bitter orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, and Buddha’s hand citron trees and flowers from spring to late summer. The fruit itself then comes between summer and winter, depending on the species.
The Azaleas – The extraordinary riot of colour that is the blooming slopes lined with 150 different varieties of azaleas for a few weeks each spring is one of the first things that gained worldwide fame for the villa and truly is an incredible thing to behold…
The Fern Valley – For a moment, among the 20 acres of these manicured gardens in Italy, filled with hydrangeas and roses and camellias and fountains and sculptures, you will be transported back in time or to another part of the world in the Fern Valley. Leafy and lovely and cut through charmingly by a stream, this lush corner of the garden was planted with amazing ferns from Australia brought to the estate long before they were commonly found in nurseries all around Italy.