Long, low clouds snake around the hills surrounding Lake Como this morning. The rain is gone, but the weather has turned chilly. Chilly, but not too chilly to take a boat ride and explore the sights around Lake Como. Let’s start with a visit to Villa Carlotta.
We’re still recovering from our “Big Day in Milan.” We packed a lot into a day-trip to Milan from Bellagio yesterday. Today we’re going to take it easy and just hang out around the lake.
Picturesque estates and villas of the super-rich dot the landscape around Lake Como. Quite a few of these villas have their best days behind them, but others have been preserved or renovated. Some are open to the public. We decided to visit one.
Plan for the Day
We chose an estate called “Villa Carlotta.” It’s straight across the lake from Bellagio. To get there, we can take a batello across the lake, over to the little town of Tremezzo. From there we’ll make the short walk to Villa Carlotta.
Our plan is to visit Villa Carlotta, then walk to Cadenabbia, which isn’t far. At Cadenabbia, we can catch the ferry back to Bellagio. We’d get to see Villa Carlotta, two tiny little towns, and whatever else was in between. Should be an easy round-trip.
We hung out in Bellagio for awhile before setting out. No need to be in a rush today. When we were ready, we walked down to the dock. I went up to the window where they sell tickets for batellos.
I asked in italian for two tickets to Tremezzo. This time the person answered in italian instead of in english. Hey maybe my italian is starting to improve. (It’s possible — I certainly got a lot of practice yesterday).
We boarded the next batello and we were on our way to the other side of the lake. Tremezzo is a tiny little town that seems to be mostly hotels, B&B’s, and villas. We walked lakeside toward Villa Carlotta and in fifteen minutes we were there. We bought tickets and went in.
The Gardens at Villa Carlotta
Villa Carlotta is known as much for its grounds as for the villa itself, so we started by wandering off into the gardens. We followed a gravel trail leading into a clump of trees. After a short walk, it was as if we were deep in a forest. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.
We walked through the “forest” until we came to a clearing. Flowers surrounded a manicured lawn and bloomed on either side of the gravel walkway. Discrete little signs provided the names of plants and where they came from. Even though we were visiting in the fall, it was a beautiful spot. This place must be dazzling in spring and summer.
We followed the trail into another forested area. It was a sunny day, but it was almost dark under the canopy of trees. As our eyes adjusted to the dark, a stream came into view. Water trickled down over stones in a small ravine. The ground was covered with lush ferns and exotic–looking plants. It was like another world in there. We stopped to take it all in.
The trail led to a small bridge that crossed the stream. The scene could be right out of a fairy tale. Under this bridge, for instance, would be the perfect place for a nasty troll to hide, laying in wait for an innocent, unsuspecting couple of strangers to come along. We got out of there.
We emerged from the forest into areas dedicated to different plant species – azaleas over here, rare species of rhododendrons over there, and one of the largest assortments of camellias anywhere.
The Villa
Eventually, we found ourselves back at the villa. It was built in 1745 by a wealthy Italian fellow who lived in Milan. I guess he wanted a little getaway spot. The property changed hands a few times over the years, but everyone’s hands it fell into had a LOT of money. Over time they filled Villa Carlotta with beautiful things.
At one point in the villa’s history, the owners gave the house and gardens to their daughter for a wedding present. Her wedding was held on the grounds. (This would be the perfect place to have a wedding). I imagine they tied the knot, started the post-wedding activities, poured the champagne, and danced into the night.
At some point during the festivities, her parents probably said something like this to her: “Oh, Carlotta, darling, come here for a moment. We want to tell you that this house and garden is your wedding present from mummy and daddy.” I guess that would have been a pretty good day for Carlotta, eh?
Carlotta probably said something like, “Oh, thank you, thank you, mummy and daddy! (In italian, of course). “Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You know what I think I’ll do? Why, I think I’ll name this place ‘Villa Carlotta,’ after lil’ old me!”
Well, it might have happened that way.
To be continued…
