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Lake Como: opulence, celebrities and a rich history

by Caroline Gladstone | 27 Jun 2013

A romantic might say that Lake Como is lined with gold … and silver, marble, silk and chandeliers.

The shores of Italy’s third largest lake, after Garda and Maggiore, are edged with hundreds of neo-classical villas built in the 18th century by the noble families of Milan and the industrialists who made their fortunes from Como’s silk trade.

These luxurious homes, designed by princes, counts and cardinals, have been passed along the generations, and approximately 10 per cent are public buildings – museums, exclusive hotels and art galleries.

But those that attract the most interest on my jaunt by ferry are inhabited, for fleeting periods of the year, by today’s new royalty: celebrities. As we approach George Clooney’s white mansion, officially known as Villa Oleandra, I have my camera ready in case the superstar is lingering on the upstairs terrace or tending to his terracotta pots of red geraniums. Alas, he is not. Despite the great disappointment for many on my boat we soak up the sunshine and glorious mountain views on this otherwise perfect July day.

A little further on we pass Richard Branson’s estate, an enormous late 19th century Spanish mission-style mansion surrounded by a dozen towering cypress pines. Accessible only by boat, it can be rented for €25,000 ($31,000) a week when the Virgin billionaire doesn’t want to hole up in it himself.

It’s hardly surprising that the rich and famous have gravitated to the graceful shores of Lake Como. Carved by a glacier more than 20,000 years ago, the lake is stunning and one of the deepest in Europe.

From the air it resembles an inverted ‘Y’ with Como at the base of its western arm. Ferries travel its 46km length to the village of Colico in the north and meander along its more remote eastern arm as well.

Eat, drink, di mare

At the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, Lake Como's most visited village, Bellagio, sits snugly on a wooded cape, offering gorgeous views to all who walk its promenades or dine at its restaurants. Its cobbled streets are perfectly formed, the gardens of the grand Villa Melzi tumble down to the shore and I’m sure there are a few celebrities lurking poolside under the candy-striped umbrellas of the grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.

Lunch on the terrace of Hotel Silvio, a family-run establishment set up in 1919, promises delightful seafood treats. Restaurateur Christian Ponzini, great-grandson of the original owner, not only runs the hotel but gets up early each morning to fish for the catch of the day. Hotel guests are invited to join him on his afternoon fishing trips, he says, but I fancy the idea of a siesta in one of the lake-view rooms.

All ashore

My next stop is just past the charming hamlet of Cernobbio, one of 30 villages on the lake’s 220km shoreline, at the luxurious Hotel Villa d’Este. Built in 1665 and converted into a hotel in 1873, its swimming pool, ‘floating’ on the lake, was the first in Europe. Two years ago the hotel was ranked the best in the world by the Forbes group. It has played host to a parade of famous guests and was the scene of a high-society murder in 1948.

My favourite building, however, is Villa Balbianello, a whimsical mansion built in 1787 for Cardinal Angelo Durini on the site of a former convent. It stands on a wooded promontory and its distinctive twin bell towers are all that remain of the original structure. Today’s building occupies several terraces and is crowned by a magnificent vine-covered loggia, a shady place where the cardinal liked to read.

On a superb day cruising Lake Como, a visitor can take in the opulence for just under 20 euros. Board the ferry in Como city or any of the lakeside villages, hopping on and off as you please.