The travelling aesthetic of Villa del Balbianello

One need only consider his highly adventurous personal exploits, set mainly amongst the Inuit on the ice; the memorabilia brought back from his travels and housed in the Expedition Museum; the exquisite nautical furniture, chosen with the utmost care for its craftsmanship; the woodwork, the inlays, the textured Tang paintings, and the collection of pre-Columbian art belonging to Guido Monzino, the last owner, to justify the arrival by water at Villa del Balbianello. In addition to its cinematic fame, linked in particular to the film *Casino Royale* – a successful instalment in the James Bond saga starring Daniel Craig – as well as an ‘episode’ of *Star Wars*. This remote tip of a small peninsula at the head of the Lavedo hill became, thanks to Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini, a residence of exceptional grace in both its interiors and gardens: its ship-like shape, the constant presence of literary figures such as Giuseppe Parini, Silvio Pellico and Alessandro Manzoni, and the aesthetic foresight of its subsequent owners, Luigi Porro Lambertenghi and Giuseppe Arconati Visconti, have made Villa del Balbianello a masterpiece, of which the cartographer’s room and the library, set within the loggia, offer a first glimpse. Monzino’s private apartments, his smoking room, the green drawing room and the study bring the residence to life, transforming it almost into an ocean liner setting sail for distant lands and cultures. In the park, the distinctive style of the pruning of the plane trees and camphor trees, shaped like candelabra, further enhances the unique elegance of Villa del Balbianello, which has converted the ancient little church into a boutique: at the end of the visit, by boat or on foot, you can reach Giulietta al Lago, the chicest lido on the Lenno shore, to relax or have lunch.