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closeBeyond our own walls, the lake is always finding fresh ways to tell its story. If you’re looking to wander a little further this season, these are the places around Lake Como that I, Giulia, will be telling our guests not to miss in 2026.
This is a very special 1930s villa in Como that has recently been given a second life. It was originally built for the Rosasco family - prominent textile industrialists - but after years of being used as a bank, it has been reclaimed by the De Santis’.
Paolo and Antonella De Santis have transformed it into a casa d'arte, filling fifteen rooms with a private collection of contemporary masterpieces they’ve gathered over forty years. You’ll find works from Mario Radice and Manlio Rho - pioneers of Como abstract art - sitting alongside original 20th-century design pieces from Gio Ponti.
What I love about CASABIANCA is that it doesn't feel like a cold museum, it’s simply like walking through someone’s very (very) elegant home. Once you’ve finished wandering the three floors, the ground floor is the perfect spot for a Milanese-style breakfast or a slow afternoon tea by the water.
2. La Velarca: the floating masterpiece
If you take the boat over to Ossuccio, you’ll see a curious, beautiful silhouette anchored near the shore. This is La Velarca, a floating residence designed in the late 1950s by the same architects behind the famous Velasca Tower in Milan.
For decades, it was a gathering place for the greats of Italian culture, with writers and artists like Umberto Eco and Lucio Fontana spending their summers here.
It was recently restored and opened to the public by the FAI, and stepping aboard feels like a genuine time-warp. Everything has been preserved, right down to the original embroidered sheets and the tea service. It feels as though the owners have just stepped out for a moment and the boat is simply waiting for their return. It’s a tiny window into a very specific, glamorous moment in Lake Como’s history.
3. Quelli della Pelle: masters at work
In Bellagio, I always find myself drawn back to the workshop of Quelli della Pelle. They are a family-run artisan shop that has been working with high-quality Tuscan leathers since 1978. There is something so grounding about watching them at their workbenches, using manual machines to cut and finish every piece by hand.
We feel such a kinship with their ethos that they are currently crafting our new room ‘do not disturb’ signs - beautiful leather tags that have our garden’s herbs and flowers printed on one side and, on the other, the request to have your room made up or be left in silence.
In the house
If those are some of the things to do in Lake Como, below are a few new things you can see at Belvedere Bellagio…
1. Bellagio Unscripted
If you move through Bellagio too quickly, you see the postcard but you miss the people. Bellagio Unscripted is our way of introducing them to you.
It’s a mini-series of stories that usually stay hidden behind kitchen doors or in the quiet of the olive groves. In the coming months, we’ll release our conversations with friends like Franco and Aurelia who make this corner of the lake breathe.
These videos are part of our efforts to step away from the polished, ‘perfect’ version of travel, and instead celebrate the raw, honest connections that happen when you stop rushing.
Subscribe to our newsletter to discover more.
2. The Real Lake Como magazine
When you arrive this season, you’ll find something different resting on your bedside table and tucked into the corners of our lounge….
We’ve spent the last few months gathering the soul of this house into our very first magazine. It’s a collection of the things we hold most dear: the quiet traditions of the lake, the people who have helped shape these walls, and the flavors that define our days.
It has been a labor of love to see so many cherished stories take a physical form, and seeing it all come together is something that makes me incredibly proud. It is our heart, printed on paper, waiting for you to open.
3. Belvedere Bellagio’s new library
Perhaps the perfect place to take your magazine is our library. We have spent the winter break reimagining this part of the house, moving it away from being just a ‘nice room’ toward somewhere with real meaning.
We wanted to recreate the feeling of an Italian living room: a space that feels special enough for a shared dinner at the large wooden table, yet quiet enough to disappear into a deep sofa with a book. My hope is that in the coming years it will play host to interesting workshops and experiences for guests to enjoy, as well as those magical dinners that become core memories.
A presto
Our doors will open again on April 1st, at which point I hope you’ll join us to see all of the above for yourself.
With love from the lake,
Giulia
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