West side of Lake Como in vintage car
Time requested: 1 or 2 days
A tour full of charm and curiosity, starting from the western side of the lake exactly from Tremezzo, without forgetting to visit Villa Carlotta, construction of the XVIII century, became the property of Gian Battista Sommariva who collected important works by Antonio Canova and Luigi Acquisti.
Along our way we will be able to admire other wonderful villas such as the Villa Melzi in Bellagio, visible across the lake.
Reaching Como City, situated on the lakefront a few steps from Piazza del Duomo, we can visit one of the largest cathedrals in Lombardy. The historic center still has the appearance of the original Roman fort, with well-preserved medieval walls and large watchtowers (Porta Torre, Torre Gattoni, San Vitale). Nearby, the Voltiano Temple houses some scientist treasures made by Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery.
To Villa Olmo we can view a lot of high-level art exhibitions, and the cableway that connects the city to the scenic mountain of Brunate completes the itinerary of the visit.
Continuing along the Bellagio promontory there are many ancient noble houses, each surrounded by parks and secular gardens. Some of them as in the case of Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni are open to the public.
Villa Serbelloni, that dominates the town's historic center is currently owned by the Rockefeller Foundation in New York. It was built in the XV century on the site of an old castle destroyed in 1375. Villa Serbelloni it was later rebuilt several times.
Villa Melzi is instead on the western lakefront, on the coast road which leads from Como to Bellagio. Its park is full with ancient monuments such as the Etruscan urn of the III century BC and two Egyptian sculptures of the XIII and XIV centuries BC. The villa can not be visited because people still lives in it, but we can visit the small museum - with archaeological collections, paintings and sculptures (including one attributed to Michelangelo) - and the neoclassic chapel at the south the park.
In Bellagio then we take the ferry to cross the lake arriving to Menaggio to finish the tour to Tremezzo.