Over several days, we unveiled a sequence of extraordinary visits, each villa revealing a different facet of Lake Como’s soul.
At Villa Pizzo, the group wandered through terraces cascading toward the lake, admiring rare camellias and magnolias in bloom. Villa Erba impressed with its cinematic grandeur, frescoed halls and marble galleries once frequented by the elite of Milanese society.
At Villa d’Este, elegance turned eternal: manicured gardens, glittering fountains, and an aperitivo overlooking the water, served precisely as the sun slipped behind the mountains.
The following morning led to Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, where the air was heavy with the scent of lemon and wisteria. There, the guests strolled among classical statues and pergolas trailing ivy — scenes that might have stepped from a 19th-century watercolor.
Finally, Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio crowned the journey, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture surrounded by gardens that seem to float between lake and sky.
Between the visits, the group explored the lake aboard private wooden boats, their polished mahogany decks glinting in the sunlight. From the water, the villas revealed a different beauty mirrored façades, hidden coves, the shimmer of marble reflected on the waves. Glasses of Franciacorta in hand, the guests admired the timeless silhouettes of the grand estates and the serenity that has drawn poets, painters, and aristocrats here for centuries.
One of the most magical moments was a private opera cocktail held at sunset, hosted in a lakeside villa. As the sky deepened into rose and gold, three Italian soloists performed arias by Verdi and Puccini.
For those with a spirit of adventure, the program included a hike to the summit of Isola Comacina, the lake’s only island and a place of legend. From the top, the panorama was sublime. A simple picnic, elegantly served under the trees, offered a touch of rustic charm amid the grandeur.
The culmination of the journey came with a gala dinner at Villa Serbelloni, a night of golden light and timeless sophistication. The grand hall, with its frescoed ceilings and marble columns, was dressed in candlelight and soft floral tones, an ambiance curated by Monica G. Events, to echo the villa’s neoclassical elegance. The menu, a celebration of Lombard cuisine and Italian refinement, featured local lake fish, saffron risotto, and fine wines. Between speeches and laughter, the evening unfolded like a scene from a grand novel. When the orchestra began its first notes, the guests took to the floor, dancing beneath crystal chandeliers while the lake shimmered in the darkness beyond the open terrace doors.
The journey ended as it began : on the water, beneath a sky the color of silk. As the boats glided across the lake one final time, the guests watched the villas fade into morning light, carrying home with them not only memories but a feeling: that beauty, when shared with kindred spirits, becomes eternal. This was not a simple anniversary trip : it was a pilgrimage to elegance, an homage to Italy’s art of living, and a reminder that some places, like Lake Como, never cease to inspire wonder.
✨ At Monica G. Events, we curate private journeys and cultural experiences across Italy and France, for connoisseurs of art, architecture, and fine living. Each itinerary is crafted as a narrative: elegant, immersive, and utterly unforgettable.
