Tips for tourists

Golden Autumn of Como: Villas Carlotta, Balbianello and the Funicular in Argegno

While winter is still lingering in northern Italy, I continue to draw inspiration from last year's autumn photos of Lake Como. Today I'll show you the left arm of Lake Como, on whose shores lies my favorite villa, as well as the little-known village of Pigra, which offers magnificent views of the surrounding area.


Villa Carlotta It's located in Tremezzo, but before getting there, we wandered for a long time through the surrounding forests and mountains, searching for a certain observation deck that, according to reviews, offered a magnificent view of the lake. We never found it, but we accidentally stopped at a small hotel on a hill and strolled around its grounds, which truly did offer a beautiful view. There are no passwords, so I couldn't remember where it was. I only remember driving a long way up from the next turnoff on the lake shore after Carlotta.





And here is the villa itself, built at the end of the 17th century by the Marquis Clerici. It was named after Princess Marianna's daughter, Carlotta of Prussia. The villa is now owned by the Italian state and is open to the public.


A cozy bench opposite the entrance:


The villa's greatest asset is its gardens. Frankly, most villas in Como, and throughout Europe in general, are rather monotonous, all from the same era, as the wealthy of the time tried to make everything luxurious, but within roughly the same framework. Since we're not deep connoisseurs of architecture and interiors, we usually spend more time in the gardens and grounds, which almost never disappoint. Villa Carlotta, in particular, boasts 500 different plant species, including 150 of my favorite azaleas, though to catch them in bloom, you need to visit strictly between April and early May.









Covering 8 hectares is certainly a challenge. Our walk took over an hour.



A colorful autumn forest—what could be more beautiful?






The most beautiful and interesting villa on Como, in my opinion, is BalbianelloIt's located in Lenno and can be reached via a forest trail (about a 20-minute walk, partly uphill) or by boat from the pier. We decided to walk there and then take the boat back.








The villa was built in the late 18th century for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. It was subsequently passed down through generations and resold several times, until in 1974 it came into the possession of a unique individual and flamboyant personality, Guido Monzino (a member of the family that founded the Standa corporation, a once-thriving chain of department stores later ruined by Berlusconi). Before his death, Monzino bequeathed the villa to the Italian National Historic Preservation Authority, which owns it to this day.



Source: travel.ru

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