Villa Balbianello, Como, Lake Como > Reviews (1)

I first visited Villa Balbianello back in 2005 and wow it left a mark in my head. The villa is situated in the small village of Lenno about half way up the lake from Como Itself, Villa Balbianello was built in the 1500's and holds a fantastic position with views up and down the lake, with its gardens that are extraordinarily beautiful with its holm-oaks, magnolias, cyclamen, azaleas and cypresses. to spend a day there is as if to be in another world!

It wasn't till my most resent visit a couple of weeks ago that I was informed that parts of the more recent Star Wars films were filmed in the grounds and as I write this there is filming taking place for the Bond remake of Casino Royale.

The Villa was originally constructed by Cardinal Angelo Durini where a small Franciscan monastery had originally stood, following the death of Cardinal Durini the complex was sold to Giuseppe Arconati Visconti who enriched the garden and the loggia. After the first World War the American general Butler Amos who renovated the whole complex and in 1988 the explorer Guido Monzino left the Villa to the FAI, the Italian National Trust.

The Villa is open every day between the 18th of March and the 31st of October from 10-am till 6-pm and costs 5 euro to view just the gardens and 11 euros to view both the villa and gardens.

While on lake Como everyone should visit..