How to visit Villa Carlotta on Lake Como

Villa Carlotta is one of the most visited and well-known villas in the world that overlook our beautiful Lake Como.This wonderful location, also used for cultural events, is located in Tremezzo, considered among the most beautiful villages in Italy. Tremezzo is only around half an hour to drive by car from our Hotel Posta in Moltrasio, you can also easily reach it with a boat trip that you can take directly in front of our Hotel.

Villa Carlotta and the secrets of a historic love story

This splendid villa was built at the end of 1600 by Marquis Giorgio Clerici, but it was Gian Battista Sommariva who transformed the garden into an huge romantic location. Villa Carlotta was named after his new owner, Carlotta of Prussia, a genuine and intelligent girl born in Berlin in 1932. She received the villa during her wedding ceremony with Giorgio II of Sachsen-Meiningen, also lover of beautiful arts and a passionate botanist. He enriched the big park offering a wonderful spectacle of nature between azaleas and unique shrubs.

The bamboo garden, over 3,000 square meters, invites with great realism to the Japanese gardens’ art techniques between waterfalls, streams and stone constructions. Thanks to the ability of the gardeners, they have created an open space for the public into the Villa Carlotta’s greenhouses. Here you can see a lot of old agricultural tools. They were essential for work, between barrels, watering canes, pails, sieves, wheelbarrows, presses for wine production.

Villa Carlotta: not only botanical garden but also precious art works

Villa Carlotta encloses with great honesty and imperceptible beauty great art’ works and big green areas. Set on three floors, it has large sculptures to the entrance, including those of Canova, such as Palamede, Love and Psyche, Tersicore, Maddalena Penitente and the Fidanza paintings. Going into the top of the structure you will enter into the area where Carlotta lived and where you can admire furniture, objects, paintings and pictorial decorations that belonged her. Starting from the Carlotta’s room, with the chalk statue done by the German sculptor Ferdinand Müller, you can admire the François Var Der Borght’s fresco with a country scene on the wall of the Sala dell’Arazzo. You can also see the the French oak and red mahogany productions of the Empire Lounge.

Discover other villas and historic homes on Lake Como

Villa Carlotta is not the only historical residence we recommend you to visit. For all the info visit the other articles on our blog:

How to reach Villa Carlotta?

By car, from our Hotel Posta in Moltrasio, along the state road SS340 for Menaggio, in about 30 minutes. However, we recommend you to enjoy the wonderful panorama that offers Lake Como (also because parking in those areas is always a problem), choosing to reach Villa Carlotta by the bus line – Linea C10 Como – Menaggio – Colico (that passes also by our Hotel Posta in Moltrasio). The best choice is certainly to use the boat (dock right in front of our Hotel) because you will be amazed by the landscape that will surround you. For further information, please visit the Villa Carlotta Official Site.

When you arrive at Hotel Posta in Moltrasio, ask for information at reception, all the staff is waiting for to help you to organize your tour at Villa Carlotta.