Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Grounds of Villa D'Este on Lake Como

The gardens of the Villa d'Este Hotel at Lake Como are elegant. They retain their Renaissance features and architecture. And they can be enjoyed even if you go to the hotel for lunch, like we did, without spending the 750 Euros per night to stay at the hotel.
Villa d'Este was built in the 1500's on the grounds of a convent. It has gone through several conversions during the centuries and has been a luxury hotel since the 1870's. The top three photos in this series show the water cascading down the hillside from the classical statue.
On a warm day the cool water and shade of the tree-lined hillside fountain provides a pleasant stroll, with commanding views of the large villa, Lake Como, and surrounding mountains.
There is classical statuary in the garden. Villa d'Este has been ranked as the best hotel in the world in some surveys.
This shows the overall scene of the features in my series today, with the statues around the formal gardens and the fountains cascading down the hill. Our friend, Marcia, travelled with our group of 13 people last summer who enjoyed a week in Bellagio on Lake Como follwoed by a week in Milan. We have travelled with Jim and Marcia to Peru, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, Oaxaca, Mexico, and elsewhere.
This shows a closer view of one of the statues. I know someone in Phoenix who used to work for one of the Formula One racing teams. He told me that they stayed at Villa d'Este each year for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, outside of Milan. I said "that must be an hour or so away." And he replied, "But we wouldn't drive there. We took a helicopter back and forth." Why, of course.

7 comments:

brattcat said...

ah, another life indeed, those who take their small private planes and helicopters to their second and third homes or holiday destinations.
these are breathtaking. is the light always so exquisite there, i wonder.

FilipBlog said...

Very nice garden. We are going to Italy soon. Can't wait.

Greetings,
Filip

Jack said...

Beautiful photos, Julie. We were at Villa d'Este for two nights in 2008 as part of an Italian Lakes hike. We wrote one check for the whole experience, so fortunately we didn't have to worry about the individual prices. Imagine a group of sweaty hikers with backpacks walking through the main floors of the hotel after the hikes!

glenda said...

I remember our lovely lunch there and the walk through the gardens. Very elegant. I Envy Jack's experience. I bet they got some sideways looks.

Phivos Nicolaides said...

Gorgeous pictures as always!!

Traveling Hawk said...

The settings here are beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

Carraol said...

Beautiful place and incredible pictures!

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