Lake Como Villas: Villa Trivulzio in Bellagio

Neoclassical Villa in Proximity to Villa Melzi

On the grounds of a former monastery in the hamlet of San Giovanni (Bellagio), just a few meters south of Villa Melzi, stands a residence of the Taverna family, an Italian noble family from Lombardy and a member of the Milanese aristocracy, "Nobiltà milanese." Count Paolo Taverna, the 11th Count of Landriano, had the villa built in a panoramic location on the shores of Lake Como at the end of the 18th century.

The building initially consisted of a central core, which was expanded at the end of the 19th century with two square wings connected to the main building by an arcade. The Milanese architect Giuseppe Balzaretti, who was notably involved in the landscaping of numerous noble villas in Northern Italy, transformed the original Italian garden into an English landscape park. In the park, alongside a 19th-century mausoleum, there is also a Romanesque church named "Santa Maria di Loppia." It is the only remaining structure of the former monastery and was once connected to it by an arcade.

Historic properties in Italy

Italy, a place of longing

Castles, palaces and villas for sale in 2024

It is noteworthy that the villa was rented by the Taverna family to Francesco Melzi d'Eril in the early 19th century, who oversaw the construction of the neighboring Villa Melzi while residing there. The villa received its current names "Trivulzio" and "Trivulzio-Gerli" much later in modern times, when it was sold to the Trivulzio family and finally to the Gerli family in the early 1940s. The park and Villa Trivulzio are privately owned and not accessible to the public.

Along the lakeshore of Bellagio, there are several boat rental stations. From the water, one can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the numerous villas that stretch from the viewpoint "Punta Spartivento" at the northernmost tip along the southern shore.