Miri (Viv330)

There are some places that are so cinematically beautiful and impressive it is hard to believe that they are real, that they haven't been perfectly put together to appear on a screen or page. Imagine, for example, a stunningly pretty Italian palace that looks strikingly like a perfect little doll's house, surrounded by gardens heavy with the smell of roses, filled inside with lyrical sculptural works by Canova, and overlooking the tranquil waters of the beloved and lovely Lake Como...sounds too good to be true, right? And, yet, this is a real description of the utterly idyllic Villa Carlotta in Tremezzina. One of Italy's most charming and wonderful examples of a historic villa (which is saying something as there is no shortage of stunning villas in Italy!), this incredible architectural gem is a must-see for those who have found a vacation rental in Lombardy and who are exploring the most beautiful nooks and crannies of Lake Como.

The Villa Carlotta traces its origins to the rise of the Clerici family from rural origins to successful silk merchants in the 16th century due to the efforts of Giorgio Clerici. His sons then furthered the wealth and status of the family with Pietro Antonio Clerici being made a Marquis and Carlo becoming the owner of several palaces in Milan and Brianza. Carlo's son, also named Giorgio Clerici, was also a marquis and then became a senator in 1684 and was nominated as President of the Senate in 1717. It was he who decided to establish a country estate on ancestral lakeside land at Tremezzo and its first iteration was completed in 1695. His great grandson Anton Giorgio Cerici then completed the villa in 1745 but died with little money left to the estate after sinking major investments into the Palazzo Clerici in Milan. Unusually, we do not actually know for certain who the architect of the villa was.

There are many lovely and scenic parts of Italy. It is an incredibly beautiful place with a very varied landscape from the Alps to Mediterranean shores and everything in between. However, one of the most famously beautiful parts of Italy is the area in and around Lake Como, which has solidified its popularity as a holiday destination. In particular, the Parco della Val Sanagra, is a wonderful protected natural park that lies in this area. If you have found a vacation rental in Lombardy and are looking for somewhere to hike, breathe in the cleanest of fresh air, admire the beauty of nature, and enjoy a relaxed and healing natural setting, then it is absolutely ideal.

If you want to see something truly breath taking then a vacation in Lombardy at Lake Lugano will bring you face to face with the majestic Monte San Giorgio! This huge mountain rises up from the shoreline of the lake to form an unusual shape.

Stay in a charming vacation rental in Lombardy where you can visit Monte San Giorgio and other enticing attractions of the region.

It lies between the borders of Lombardy and Switzerland and earned itself a rightful place on the 2003 UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Villa del Balbianello is an 18th century villa which is perched precariously and picturesquely over Lake Como. It is now owned by Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (FAI), private, non-profit trust which receives sites of historic, artistic and naturalist value and restores and opens them to the public so that everyone can enjoy them. A popular spot for weddings and tourists, it was built for Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini at the end of the 1700s. The décor which exists today, however, comes from its last owner, the explorer Guido Monzino. It has a rich collection of Chinese, African and pre-Colombian art, precious English and French furniture of the 1700s and a small museum with documents and mementoes of his expeditions.