Lake Como Cool
Gilt, putti, ravioli, and flamingos at a storied Italian villa.
Photography by Macduff EvertonWhen it comes to visiting the Italian Lake District in Lombardy, you can do so from Como, the fast-growing tourist city of 90,000 complete with McDonald’s. Or you may prefer to check into the ever-chic Villa de’Este in nearby Cernobbio, population 7,000. But for a taste of timeless elegance, ensconce yourself in a cozy lakeside suite at the 95-room Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, population 3,000. While affording convenient access to all of the above (and the boat trip to the Clooneys takes minutes), this 19th-century villa reflects all the storied values of its era and then some.
Owner Gianfranco Bucher’s family has overseen this beautifully maintained five-star property for three generations.
Picture ornate gardens, meticulously maintained frescoes on coffered ceilings, gilt-frame paintings of putti and flamingos, Murano chandeliers—the neoclassical, art nouveau, and Imperial furnishings coupled with the serene views and exquisite silence that early on set the stage for notable guests, from Churchill and JFK to the usual list of royals and aristocracy.
As compelling if not more so: Owner Gianfranco Bucher’s family has overseen this beautifully maintained five-star property for three generations. The neighboring residence, Bucher’s childhood home, today hosts Rockefeller Foundation scholars such as the San Francisco artist Mildred Howard, while Bucher and his wife, Dusia, continue their personable tradition of hospitality—dining with guests, introducing chef Ettore Bocchia, overseer of their Michelin-starred Mistral restaurant, anticipating the evening’s ravioli al huovo with fresh truffles, the lake-caught turbot with asparagus, the semifreddo….
The season here runs early April to November. •
Santa Barbara Magazine
By Trish Reynales. All rights reserved.
