Cultivated Elegance: The Horticultural Artistry of Lake Como Villas

The following photo essay explores the exquisite horticulture, garden, and landscape features of villas I visited in the Lake Como area of Italy, in the summer of 2024. The images reflect on the seamless integration of natural beauty and human artistry in these villas. The essay will begin with photos of Villa Monastero in Varenna, Italy, a Nordic-style villa built at the end of the 12th century. The next photos depict Villa Balbianello in Lenno, Italy, a neoclassical-style villa built in 1787 and famous for being featured in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Casino Royale.

Villa Monastero began as a Cistercian Monastery in the 12th century, later became a private home, and is now a public museum accompanied by a garden of over nine hundred exotic plants.

African and American palm trees, including rarities Erythea armata and Erythea edulis, line the garden walkway at Villa Monastero.

A grand stone rotunda surrounded by statues and lush greenery seamlessly blend architectural grandeur with horticultural accents in Villa Monastero’s terraces.

Villa Monastero’s gardens feature a dynamic blend of evergreen trees, giant cacti, exotic palms, citrus trees and flowering vines, thoughtfully arranged to frame the captivating views of Lake Como.

The villa’s terraces overlook a panoramic view of the shimmering eastern shore of Lake Como, framed by a diverse array of greenery. 

Villa del Balbianello was a Franciscan monastery in the 13th century and its last owner, Italian explorer Guido Monzino, donated it to the FAI in 1988 for public view.

Villa Balbianello’s three-tiered loggia is covered in bright green Ficus pumila vines trained by gardeners up its pillars, lined with bright red cypress flowers on the railings. 

While Mediterranean cypress trees dominate the landscapes of Lake Como, Villa Balbianello's gardens showcase a rich diversity of exotic species, with oaks, palms and magnolias integrated into the intricately designed greenery.

The emphasis on greenery reveals the artistry of texture and form, where the contrasting shapes and sizes of leaves, trees and plants highlight the skillful balance between nature and meticulous gardening.

Magenta and pink hydrangeas in full bloom bring a vibrant burst of color to the verdant terraces of Villa Balbianello.