Villa Balbianello: The structure

3A TUR 2024/25

The Villa

Villa delBalbianello is a historic 18th-century residence overlooking Lake Como (Tremezzo), built by Cardinal Durini of Milan.The villa is located on the tip of the Dosso di Lavedo, the only promontory on Lake Como.The main body of the villa is a three-story building, with the lower wing facing directly onto the lake. Its interiors are furnished with furniture from across Europe and also house vast collections of ancient sculptures.The villa also features secret passages built by Monzino for security purposes, which connect different parts of the villa to an internal dock.

The Loggia

The Loggia is a rectangular-plan building consisting of two distinct rooms: one is the Library, and the other is the Cartographer’s Room. These rooms are separated by a triple arch.

The rooms of the Loggia also feature some secret passages.

The Library holds over four thousand volumes on Guido Monzino’s mountaineering and polar expeditions, while the Cartographer’s Room contains a series of geographical maps, many of which were used by Monzino himself.

As for the structure, the arches and columns are covered with a climbing plant of Chinese origin, Ficus Pumila; the flooring of the portico features a wind rose, commissioned by Monzino as a tribute to his geographical expeditions.

 

Cartographer’s Room

As for the interior of the villa, it was designed in perfect Renaissance style, also reflecting Monzino’s personality. He transformed the villa into a true private museum, including the library and the cartographer’s room.

The room of the Primitives

The Room of the Primitives is a space that contains a collection of ethnographic art gathered by Monzino during his expeditions. It includes Inuit, African, Pre-Columbian, and Oriental objects. The room also houses the sled used during his 1971 expedition to the North Pole.

The exterior

The exterior of the villa is meticulously maintained; it is arranged in terraces that gently descend toward the lake.

The lawn is bordered by hedges of laurel, boxwood, and plane trees pruned in a “chandelier” shape, different from the “umbrella” pruning of the large holm oak, which requires weeks of work and gardeners equipped with mountaineering harnesses.

This unique feature was requested by Monzino so that he could admire the summit of Mount Legnone from his office.

 

 

The dock

The villa also features a small dock, accessible via a staircase that leads from the garden.

What stands out are three statues of saints, the most important of which is that of Saint Charles Borromeo, depicted in the act of blessing the waters of the lake.

This statue, along with others placed along the path, helps create an atmosphere of reverence and grandeur, highlighting the historical and spiritual significance of the site.