When, crossing Lago di Como, they point you to George Clooney's house as a priority souvenir –“that one, that one over there, take a picture of it”–, look at it out of the corner of your eye, we are all seasoned voyeurs, but hey, don't shoot. Do not fall in the trap. Don't profane the memory of Paparazzo – oh, Fellini – for a blurred image at the touch of a finger and come from a zoom.
Not even to shock on Instagram will it work and that Como, the truth, doesn't work either. Not to fall in love. Get drunk secretly, yes, before the great, enormous beauty of Villa Oleandra, which is the name of the actor's retirement so many times besieged by some paparazzi who come to the sweet life from Bellagio like flies to honey.
The swarm does not stop in a famous mansion among the locals since before the ER for to have once belonged to the Heinz family , and it is that where there is tomato today, there used to be ketchup, that is. That's like.
A boat with its captain waiting for clients.
Run, look away and focus again as the riva cuts through the waters to behold Villa Margherita, the house of the great Ricordi where Giuseppe Verdi composed part of The Traviata.
Or to imagine the childhood of Luchino Visconti in the gardens of the dazzling Villa Erba, the same one that a little over five years ago was the scene of the party with which Martini celebrated his 150th birthday, everyone there dressed up as gatopardos resisting finishing the dance like Cinderellas.
Facade of the Villa Sola Cabiati, the epitome of hedonistic architecture of the Belle Époque.
Also for remember Gianni Versace behind the walls of his Villa Fontanelle , today in the hands of a Russian real estate tycoon that we will not mention so as not to break the magic.
Or to weigh whether to celebrate your birthday – you can do it, you can rent either one – in Villa Passalacqua or in Villa Sola Cabiati , the first, full of history, from the papal Odescalchi family to Napoleon and from Churchill to Bellini ; the second, a wonderful slap of extravagance, blessed horror vacui the one handled by the Dukes of Serbelloni.
Living room with fireplace at Villa Passalacqua, available for rent and currently undergoing a major renovation.
And wait, there is even more: in Villa Melzi it was where the photograph that illustrates the cover of the March issue of Condé Nast Traveler found us, the one that acts as a bridge between the flow of rivers, lakes and seas.
Because yes, she was the one who found us, with that couple scratching rays of sunlight before the blue Moorish-inspired kiosk that the Melzis used to listen to music at sunset.
Detail of the rib with which we cross the waters of the lake.
The busts of Ferdinand I of Habsburg and Maria Anna of Savoy and of Lodovico and Joséphine Melzi d'Eril-Barbó watch from within, while Beatriz Portinari and Dante invite inspiration from outside, as they did Liszt when composing the Sonata to Dante and, hold on, here comes the dizziness, Stendhal with his travel diary Rome, Naples and Florence (1817) and the novel The Charterhouse of Parma (1839).
Red permeates the lounge adjacent to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo's bar.
And this is what Como is all about: to look, to admire, to write down endless names in the notebook, to travel. From being drenched to melancholy in one of the deepest lakes in Europe, 416 meters at the Argegno dam. Looking out over the shore from Villa Monastero, where Enrico Fermi, Nobel Prize winner for Physics, gave master classes , and understand that atomic particles go boom when they come together.
Another master, the one of the spritz of the Café Varenna , will be waiting for you at the end of the day with his magic formula to appease size syndrome.
And you will tell him like Stendhal, that you have arrived “to that point of emotion where the celestial sensations given by the fine arts and passionate feelings meet” . How beautiful this traveler's disease.
Staircase at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
HOW TO GET
Iberia: The connection from Madrid and Barcelona to Milan is frequent and direct (from €60). Lago di Como is an hour and a half drive from the Lombard capital.
The photogenic swimming pool of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, inaugurated by Enea Gandola and Maria Orsolini on July 10, 1910.
WHERE TO SLEEP
Grand Hotel Tremezzo: On July 10, he will celebrate his 110th birthday. the hotel that Greta Garbo described in the film grand hotel like “that happy sunny place”. The actress remains the icon of this complex whose ode to water culminates in one of the most beautiful pools in the world.
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni: The only five-star hotel in Bellagio and a must-see classic, with more than 150 years of history. His restaurant, under the baton of chef Ettore Bocchia, has a Michelin star. A curious fact: it belongs to the Bucher family, now in its fourth generation, since 1918.
Room with a view in Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
Beautiful view: In this small and bohemian art nouveau style villa with only eight rooms you won't find the luxury of the previous ones, but you will find a different kind: located on a hill –take the funicular up–, its views over the lake are impressive. So is his cuisine, seasonal, based on local recipes and with some ingredients from his own garden.
WHERE TO EAT
L'Escale Trattoria & Wine Bar: All the gastronomic options of Tremezzo, with Osvaldo Presazzi at the helm for more than 25 years, they are worth it, but Beware of its informal wine cellar with more than 1,300 Italian references and dishes with local products.
A couple of ducks start spring on the lake.
Macelleria Butti: The best salami sandwich you've ever tasted, that's what Butti Enrico says from this shop opened in 1952. Also wines, cheeses and truffles for you to have an aperitif on the riva.
Cafe Varenna: Cozy corner by the lake to try great pastries, cheeses and unforgettable spritz.
One of our crossings through Lago di Como.
TO DO
Flying Club Like: Here everyone boasts of their record of tradition and history, and this flying club is the oldest seaplane flying school and organization in the world. They offer tailor-made flights and introductory courses.
About to get on the seaplane at the Aeroclub Como, where they offer courses to learn how to pilot it as well as excursions and flights for video, film and advertising shoots.
This report was published in the number 137 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (March) . Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The February issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available at its digital version to enjoy it on your favorite device.
A corner of Villa Passalacqua, where Bellini composed the operas Norma and Sonnambula.