AUGUST 17TH, 2022
IT'S A CELEBRATION!
Villa del Balbianello will leave you breathless due to its beautiful terraced gardens and picturesque structure. From the tip of the wooded peninsula of Lavedo, elongated on the waters of the center of Lake Como, the Villa elegantly overlooks a wide panorama that makes it one of the most spectacular residences of the Lario.
Erected at the behest of Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini, scholar and patron, who at the end of the eighteenth century chose this lake corner to make it a retreat of delight and literary entertainment. A vocation recovered in modern times by Guido Monzino, an entrepreneur, collector and passionate traveler, who in 1974 made the Villa the refuge where to preserve with order and taste the memories of an adventurous life that led him, the first Italian, to the top of Everest. His daily life and the fortunate deeds emerge from maps, books, furnishings and precious collections of ancient and primitive art objects: everything is still set up according to his will, like the memorabilia of his well-known mountaineering achievements, kept in the fascinating Museum of shipments.
By his will, in 1988 the Foundation took charge of the rigorous management of the Villa, preserving its spirit which also lives on in the wonderful garden that FAI maintains with the same obsessive perfection. A path that ranges between daring prunings and romantic glimpses, avenues lined with statues, panoramic terraces and copious blooms, culminating in the eighteenth-century Loggia that crowns the entire complex giving a double and aerial panorama. The beauty and wonder of the Balbianello has made it a sought-after film location by many Hollywood directors. In 2002, the Villa was featured in Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, and served as the location where Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) were secretly married. In 2006, it is featured in the 007 series, specifically Casino Royale. The Villa doubles as a hospital where James Bond (Daniel Craig) is recovering with Vesper (Eva Green) and the location where the Swiss banker comes to get the code to transfer the money.