Description of the attraction
Famed for its carefully planned hanging gardens, Villa del Balbianello is located at the very tip of a small, forested peninsula on the western shore of Lake Como, close to Comacina Island and Lenno.
The villa was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini. Two towers have survived to this day, which were the bell towers of the monastery church. After the death of the cardinal in 1796, the villa was bought by Giuseppe Arconati Visconti, who partially remodeled the garden and the covered gallery. In the 19th century, the villa belonged to the Porro-Lambertenghi family, but by the beginning of the 20th century it had fallen into disrepair. It was then that it was bought by the American military and businessman Butler Ames, who initiated restoration work on the villa and in the garden. And in 1974, Villa del Balbianello was acquired by explorer Guido Monzino, the leader of the first Italian expedition to Everest, who filled it with various artifacts collected by him on numerous travels. Monzino, who died in 1988, bequeathed the villa to the National Society for the Protection of Monuments of Italy. Today it is also part of the Great Gardens of Italy.
The picturesque landscapes surrounding Villa del Balbianello often attract filmmakers here. So, in 1995, scenes were filmed here for the film "A Month by the Lake" with Uma Thurman in the title role, in 2002 - for "Star Wars: Episode II." Attack of the Clones”, and in 2006 - for the Bond series“Casino Royale”.
