Parco Teresio Olivelli in Tremezzo… In full summer you will find sunbathers in the Parco Teresio Olivelli. It’s elbowing to roll out a towel where just enough sun rays shine through the tops of the stately trees to get some tan. This is the favorite spot of the local youth who come to socialize with a cigarette, drink and music and to paddle on Lake Como.
Today we are two seasons further and we walk through the park in radiant winter weather. And as so often out of season, the silence is deafening and the azure blue Lake Como does its best to shine under a steel blue sky. The color of the water and the sky mixing together like shades of blue on a painter’s palette. The pink Gazetto dello Sport, which a man reads carefully, provides the only spot of contrast.
The color of the water and the sky mixing together like shades of blue on a painter's palette. The pink Gazetto dello Sport, which a man reads carefully, provides the only spot of contrast.
A little background story? The Parco Teresio Olivelli in Tremezzo is named after a Partisan who was allowed to pin a gold medal for military honors on his chest. The botanical and architectural garden in Tremezzo is located just behind the little church of San Bartolomeo between the state road and the shore of Lake Como. It is not big: you cannot compare it with the park gardens of Villa Carlotta, Villa Melzi or Villa Balbianello… The park has been owned by the municipality of Tremezzo since 1979 and can be visited free of charge.
In 1925, architect Lingerie was commissioned by the Meier family to design the garden park. Parco Teresio Olivelli is the spur of Villa Meier (hence the original name “Meier Garden”). The villa and the park are connected by a neo-baroque (bridge) staircase under which the state road runs. At the foot of the monumental staircase, drops sparkle from a beautiful fountain. Be sure to look up because the various tree species in the park have been carefully selected and planted.
No, the octagonal building in the park is not a chapel, but a fun house. This tarrochierra was decorated by painter Cristoforo de Amicis. Board games and card games (tarrot cards) were played here by the wealthy guests of the family.
Parco Teresio Olivelli would appear in the list of the most beautiful parks in Italy and we are not surprised. Elegant, limited in size but grand with a monumental appearance.
If you are in Tremezzo, park your car and have an aperitif in the small bar in the park or walk a bit… Totally worth it!
