Visit the gardens of Villa Melzi in Bellagio… We arrive in Bellagio. We have left the bustle of Varenna behind and dive into the even bigger bustle of Bellagio. Another time than Bellagio, sorry…
A little outside of Bellagio you will find Villa Melzi and its beautiful botanical garden. The main entrance of Villa Melzi is next to the Alle Darsene di Loppia restaurant in a narrow street. There is a small parking lot, but don’t count on free space…
A little bit of history? Allowed? Villa Melzi was built between 1808 and 1815 by order of the Italian politician Francesco Melzi d’Eril (a.o. Vice President of the Republic of Italy). Francesco, friend of or at least loyal to Napoleon, was keen to have a summer country house in Bellagio. A nest egg after his political career… He had a beautiful white villa built by Giocondo Albertolli on the edge of Lake Como with a beautiful botanical garden around it. The building is built with a great sense of symmetry with a sober architecture.
Depending on the time of year, the garden will give many different impressions to the rhythm of the different seasons.
Many famous figures have stayed in the Neo-classical villa, including Emperor Ferdinand I and Franz List. To date, the villa is owned by the Scotti Gallarati family who also maintain the villa and gardens. Must cost a lot of money, but is undoubtedly also worth a lot of money… The villa cannot be visited, but the gardens can be visited, provided an entrance ticket of 6.5 euros!
The designers of the garden, Luigi Canoncia and Luigi Villarosi, were a little less understanding of symmetry. The garden has a lot of diversity and the paths meander over the domain that runs up the hill from the water’s edge to a piece behind the villa. It was also the first English garden on Lake Como.
It must be said, the garden is really beautiful! Especially today with bright fresh green colors of the plants welcoming spring. And the sun is also doing its best. Comparison does both an injustice, but the garden of Villa Melzi appeals to us more than that of Villa Balbianello. Maybe because the garden of Villa Melzi is more inviting to walk around, find peace and enjoy the flora?
For those who already feel the green fingers tingling… In the garden, about fifty different types of plants, flowers and trees bloom and grow. You will find a detailed list on the website. Roman statues and Egyptian sculptures give the garden even more character. Don’t forget to visit the orangery and the pavilion! At the pavilion is a sculpture of Dante and Beatrice. The orangery is set up as a small museum. A nice spot is the Japanese fish pond at the back, complete with fish and a bridge.
