From the tip of the small wooded peninsula of Lavedo, stretching out sheer above the waters of the center of Lake Como, Villa del Balbianello elegantly overlooks a wide panorama, proudly claiming the title of one of the most scenic residences on the Lario.
It was Cardinal Durini, a man of letters and patron of the arts, who chose this corner of the lake at the end of the eighteenth century, to transform it into a retreat of delight and literary entertainment.
A vocation recovered in modern times by Guido Monzino, entrepreneur, collector and passionate traveler, who in 1974 made the Villa the refuge where he could preserve in order and taste the memories of an adventurous life that led him, the first Italian, to the top of Everest.