There’s a moment, when the boat from Lenno rounds the little peninsula, when everyone on board goes quiet. The villa appears between the trees, its terraced gardens dropping straight into the water, and suddenly you understand why film directors keep coming back here.
I’ve lived near Lake Como most of my life, and Villa del Balbianello still does this to me. Here’s what I tell friends before they visit.
A villa built on a monastery
The story starts in the 1780s, when Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini, a man of letters with a passion for beautiful places, bought the old Franciscan monastery on the tip of the Lavedo peninsula and turned it into a place for conversation, books and friends. The loggia that bears his name, with its arches open on both sides of the lake, is still the heart of the villa.
The last private owner was Guido Monzino, the explorer who led the first Italian expedition to reach the summit of Everest in 1973. When he died in 1988 he left the villa to the FAI, the Italian National Trust, and inside you can still see his collections and souvenirs from his expeditions.
From Naboo to Casino Royale
If the gardens look familiar, you’re not imagining it. In Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, the villa became part of the planet Naboo, and the lakeside terrace is where Anakin and Padmé are married. A few years later, James Bond recovered here in Casino Royale.
Film fans come for those scenes, but most leave talking about something else: the light on the water, the plane trees pruned into perfect shapes, and the silence of the loggia in the late afternoon.
How to get there
Villa del Balbianello sits on a peninsula near Lenno, on the western shore of the lake. The easiest way to arrive is by boat: water taxis leave from the small pier in Lenno, and the crossing takes only a few minutes. On certain days there’s also a footpath from Lenno, a lovely walk of about a kilometre through the woods.
Opening days and hours change with the seasons, and the villa is closed on some weekdays, so always check the FAI website before you go. If you want to see the rooms inside, book the guided tour: the visit to the house is only possible with a guide.
My tips for a better visit
Go early or late. Late morning is the busiest time. The first hour after opening is calmer, but my favourite moment is at the end of the day, when most visitors have gone, the gardens fall quiet and the loggia turns golden in the late afternoon light.
Stay on the paths. The lawns are perfect because no one is allowed to walk on them. It’s one of the reasons the gardens are among the most beautiful in Italy.
Look back at the villa from the water. The view from the boat, as you leave, is one of the best photographs you’ll take on Lake Como.
Combine it with Lenno and Tremezzo. Have lunch by the water in Lenno, then continue to the gardens of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo, just a few minutes away.
Not just for visitors
Some couples fall so hard for the villa that they decide to come back and marry there. The Loggia Durini can be reserved for intimate ceremonies, and if you’re dreaming of the same, you’ll find everything about eloping at Villa del Balbianello (dates, rules, boat transfers and costs) in our guide.
However you see it, as a film location, a piece of history or the place where you’ll say “I do”, Villa del Balbianello is one of those rare places that lives up to the photos.
Image: Unsplash, Lewis Goetz
