Villa del Balbianello
The Villa del Balbianello is located on the tip of the Lavedo peninsula in Lenno on Lake Como . It dates from 1787.
history
Originally there was a small Franciscan monastery there , of which the two church towers are still standing until Cardinal Angelo Durini had the villa built in 1787. The complex is structured in two squares one on top of the other. These are connected with an arcade, which gives a view of the "Bay of Venere" and the "Bay of Diana". The garden consists of terraces and parapets, its structure true to the course of the terrain. There are steep rocks that create different levels at different levels. There, meadows, hedges, cypresses and oaks alternate. There are benches throughout the garden, both in the shade and in the sun, with either a view of the villa or Lake Como.
After the death of Cardinal Angelo Durini, the villa was inherited by his nephew, who sold it to Giuseppe Arconati Visconti . This enriched the garden and the arcade. After a period of neglect, the villa was acquired after the First World War by the American General Butler Ames , who had the entire complex renovated. After his death, the building was acquired by Count Guido Monzino , who housed his collection from his numerous polar research expeditions there, which can be viewed in an exhibition. He also wanted to be buried in his favorite place. After his death in 1988, for example, his ashes were left in the ground below the arcade in a small pavilion under a stone slab. He bequeathed the villa to the FAI , the Italian cultural and environmental protection organization, which has been the owner of the villa since then and keeps it in good condition with donations.
The garden can be visited from March 15th to October 31st on all days except Monday and Wednesday for an admission fee, the proceeds go to the FAI .
Trivia
The villa has become known as the backdrop for the films A Summer at the Lake (1995) with Vanessa Redgrave and Edward Fox , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and the James Bond film Casino Royale .
The film A Summer at the Lake was shot almost entirely in the villa.
Web links
- FAI website (Italian) , German , versions in English, French, Spanish and Russian are also available
Coordinates: 45 ° 57 '53.8 " N , 9 ° 12' 8.7" E