Villa Carlotta

A few kilometres past Villa del Balbianello, in the municipality of Tremezzina, is another of Lake Como's most famous villas and gardens, Villa Carlotta. The Villa was built on the shores of the lake by the Marquises Clerici in the early 18th century, but reached its peak with the next owner, Gian Battista Sommariva. It was he who transformed part of the Italian-style garden into a romantic park and embellished the villa with valuable neoclassical works by Canova, Thorvaldsen, and Hayez. A beautiful place with a museum and a botanical garden, set within an extraordinary panorama.