castles-and-ruins near Crotto del Misto
The family bankers Amsick from Hamburg bought several properties in the enchanting corner of San Giovanni. The project involved demolition of some houses, silk factories, and three villas overlooking a lake. For this reason, in San Giovanni there is...
Adjacent to Park Maier, is this villa built in the mid-nineteenth century for the Milan Bar Emilio Ferrario and Pompey, before moving into the hands of various owners. Initially the villa was surrounded by a large park that later in 1925 was...
Located opposite Comacina island, this villa was once the home to many distinguished individuals including Beccaria Bonesana who built the villa in the 18th century and much later Cesare Cantu, writer, historian and patriot who left it to his...
Privately owned and protected by a high wall, this villa tempts curious visitors with its elegant garden, thanks to a wide gate, overlooking Via Regina. It is also one of the points of interest along the celebrated Green Way. The villa divides the...
To reach this private villa, you must walk a stone staircase, the so-called 'Scalotta', from the docks of Loppia (near Bellagio) alongside Villa Melzi, with eight hundred steps that leads up to an Italian garden with fountain. The roof is decorated...
Ever wonder where that stunning backdrop to Daniel Craig's R&R was? The 18th century Villa Balbianello hosted Mr Craig and his Hollywood crew. The mansion sits on a spit of land jutting into the deep green waters of the Lake whose shores are...
Private Residence. Built by the lake in the second half of the eighteenth century, the property was later expanded and renovated villa especially in the part of the garden. At the top of the garden, the Balzaretto also built the Mausoleum Gonzaga,...
Following a stay in Lake Como, George Clooney was fascinated by the area and bought a house in Laglio, a villa of the eighteenth century called Villa Oleandra. He later became an honorary citizen of the small lakeside town and sits on the committee...
Located on the western shore of Lake Como, Villa del Balbianello is perched on the point of the Dosso di Lavedo, a wooded promontory that juts out from the coastline to form a small peninsula. Villa del Balbianello is famous for its elaborate...
Villa Carlotta is a unique sanctuary of art and beauty with its magnificent botanical specimens and art masterpieces in over 70,000 square meters of gardens and museum. It is located on the most picturesque part of Lake Como and renown for its...
The Tower is located on a rocky outcrop above the village of Spurano and it was an ancient watchtower, which probably dates back to the 12th century. The fortified structure, included in the difensive system of the Comacina Island, was probably...
Originally a signalling tower, that later became a fortress as documented 1158. There is no information about the proceeding centuries until 1454 when the area fell into the hands of the Republic of Venice and the Adda River became the natural...
The Castle lies on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Como close to Riva Bianca and its namesake beach. Built in the Romanesque period, the fortress was at the focus of several historical events, like the battle between Milan and Como in 1124. It was...
Also called Tower of Barbarossa, stands high over Mandello dating from the twelfth century. The tower has been rebuilt over the years, but retains interesting architectural features like the arched portal, the remains of painted trophies and a...
Volunteers of the Cultural Center Library Bellagio deal with loaning library books and organize various cultural events....
At Mount Cross Ardona (m. 1005), a path splits into two. On the left, is a wooded summit then down along a bumpy ride to the entrance of Castel d'Ardona. To the right, a few bends bring you to same point but the road is much easier (1h 30 'from...
It is thought the tower was built at the behest of Fontanedo Bernabo Visconti in 1357, on the defensive line of Upper Lake, but perhaps it was only enhanced an existing structure. It is located about 700 meters downstream of the village of...
Gate Tower is an imposing fortress, 40 meters high, built in 1192, on the initiative of the mayor Hubert de 'Olevano, to defend the entrance to the city of Como. In the fourteenth century the great tower was flanked by two other pentagonal towers,...
In the medieval center of Villincino, was a fortified town built in the late tenth century. The village was owned by the wealthy family Carpani. The town was destroyed in 1278. The small and picturesque district is accessed by going through a tower,...
It is a private building constructed on roman foundation with an irregular square plant. The building, which has crown walls with battlements to protect the round parapet, can be dated between 1360 and 1370. It is a typical castle-enclosure, which...
Fort Fuentes is a former military fort on the hill of Montecchio or Monteggiolo near Colico, northern Italy. It was built by the Spanish governor of Milan, Don Pedro Enríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes, to defend the northern border of the Spanish...
Fort Montecchio-Lusardi is a military fort situated in Colico, in the province of Lecco, northern Italy. It was built between 1911 and 1914. It is the only Italian fort from World War I which has been preserved intact with its original weapons. The...
A must see--one of the most beautiful castles on the lake. It is a walled enclusure, developed around a squared tower with restored battlements and a real drawbridge. Additional attractions feature live falconry shows, an exhibition dedicated to the...
Trapezoidal shaped castle with three towers built by counts Della Torre of Rezzonico in 1363. It is described as a "castle-fence", fortifying an area of two thousand square meters which surrounded the town and the main tower. Today the castle is...
Baradello Castle is situated on hill dominating the valley like a stone sentinel watching over the town of Como and Spina Verde Park. The top of the tower provides 360 degree views of the city, the Alps and Po Valley. The fortification was used...
Placed on a hill overlooking the town, the castle was built in late Middle Ages to block the way to Valvarrone and it still remains a well-preserved tower, surrounded by ruins of ancient houses. The first proofs date back to 1039, when it suffered a...