The Lakes

Premier Villas

Villa dell’Imperatrice

You may choose to arrive by car or by water taxi, landing on the villa's private dock

The entrance at garden level

The back garden

A swimming pool built into the rocks with incomparable views over the lake lies above the villa

It is reached via a charming paved path

The grand living area with painted ceilings, two fireplaces and splendid Murano chandeliers

This generous room is composed by a sitting area with satellite TV and grand piano...

... and a dining area...

... which opens onto the truly spectacular terrace.

The hall and the upper floor landing. Mark the architectural details.

Details of the painted cupola whcih can be seen from the ground floor

Bedroom I - Garden Level: in a pale yellow hues with iron beds, fireplace and separate dressing

The view though the French doors ...

... is spectacular.

A marble bathroom with wood paneled tub on the Garden Level

Bedroom II - Garden Level: mark the Murano chandelier and the double lake exposition

Bedroom IV- Top Floor: this room has generous sized twin beds than can be made into a large double

The en-suite marble bathroom with stand-alone tub

Bedroom V - Top Floor: all bedrooms on this floor have decorative oeil-de-boeuf windows plus roof windows for maximum light.

Bedroom VI - Top Floor: this cosy bedroom decorated with pale green Toile de Jouy fabrics ...

... has its own bathroom across the corridor.

The terrace on a sunny morning

Dinner is about to be served

The pool terrace

Magnificent views from the pool

The courtesy boat in action

Waterskiing on the lake

Fireworks across the lake at the famous Hotel Villa d'Este

The tennis court in Blevio can be used by guests of the villa

The complimentary rowing boat

A sister villa can be found on the estate grounds to accommodate up to 26 pax ...

... and their dinner parties

Bird's eye view of the villa

Another view from above

The villa and the adjoining village of Blevio

Vaporetto station in Blevio

The village of Blevio

Sunset on the terace

View over the lake from the top of the mountain

Villa dell’Imperatrice

The Lakes

Immersed in a seven acre botanic park and located only 5 kms from downtown Como. A private lake shore as well as the beauty of its architecture and the quality of its staff make this a quite unique setting. This villa can be rented alone or with its sister villa, Villa dell'Imperator.

6 BR

Milan Malpensa 50 km / 31 miles

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OVERVIEW

Set on the border of the small village of Blevio within a 7 acre lake front property, Villa dell’Imperatrice is a true gem. The neoclassical villa develops over three floors. Large windows, French doors, a terrace, a balcony and a private boat deck ensure that you get the most of this unusually beautiful setting. What makes the villa different is the fact that the house is literally suspended over the water and that it enjoys total privacy—a rare quality on Como.

The large manicured park dating from the 19th century is in marvelous shape thanks to the owner’s attentive care. A private gate in the wall which encloses the entire property leads to the charming village of Blevio.

In the early nineteenth century the property was given as a present to Maria Taglioni, one of the most celebrated ballerinas of her time, who also called the prestigious Ca’ d’Oro in Venice her own. It was Taglioni’s hideaway when her fame was so extreme that a pair of her ballet slippers were cooked, garnished, and eaten by a group of ardent followers. Her son-in-law, Prince Troubetskoy, also came to live here, banished from Russia after being accused of conspiring against Czar Nicholas I.

A sister villa, Villa dell’Imperatore, can be found on the estate grounds. The two side-by-side historical interconnected villas, Villa dell’Imperator and Villa dell’Imperatrice can be rented together or separately, for a maximum occupancy of 26 guests.

Outdoors

• Largest single private property on Lake Como
• Exceptional entirely walled 7 acre 19th century park planted with magnolias, cypress trees, camelias, azaleas and laurel
• 1,000ft long private lake shore
• Terrace illuminated at night
• Exclusive private dock offering direct access to the lake and equipped with a courtesy boat, but also a convenient landing spot for water taxis which will take you the the many restaurants lining the lake
• Panoramic swimming pool with incomparable views over the lake located 200 mt above the villa
• Underground parking (10 vehicle capacity) offering direct and sheltered access to the villa
• Wonderful walks in the park
• Independent gate walk exit to the typical village of Blevio with its old church, a charming square and harbour, a public waterfront park, a public vaporetto dock access and a gourmet restaurant
• A sister villa, Villa dell’Imperatore, can be found on the estate grounds to accommodate up to 26 guests. The two residences are separated by a small historic harbour flanked by ancient terracotta statues
• A 5 minutes ride with the courtesy speed boat of the villa will take you to the iconic luxury Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and a special agreement will allow you to access all its entertainment facilities

Indoors

• Villa dell’Imperatrice sleeps 12 guests and consists of 6 double bedrooms, four with ensuite bathrooms and two with their own private bathrooms across the corridor
• Neoclassical architecture with French doors, large windows, a balcony and a terrace
• Stylish mix of precious antiques and comfortable modern furniture
• Luxurious finishings down to the finest Italian linens
• 1900 Blutner grand piano in the living room facing the lake
• Large living area with painted ceiling, two fireplaces and splendid Murano chandeliers, opening onto the terrace through French doors
• Lakeshore terrace where sumptuous meals are served by the butler
• Fully equipped modern kitchen with patio winter garden

DETAILS

Amenities

• WI-FI throughout
• Sky Satellite TV (36″ screen) with DVD Player in the living room
• Air-con and heating ensured by local geothermic heat pump throughout the villa included in the rent
• High quality Italian luxury linens
• Rooms and bathrooms have complete sets of extra thick towels, hairdryers, magnifying mirrors, and Etro bath sets with soap, shampoo, and conditioner
• Automatic louvers on all windows and safe in each bedroom
• House laundry with washing machine and dryer
• Cots, cradles, high chairs and prams can be easily provided
• Firewood supply for fireplaces

Staff | Service included

• Cook and Butler service: 1 cook and 1 butler, 7 days per week service (one day off for butler & cook or two half days off, at choice). Butler service from 8:30am to 10pm with 3 1/2 hours rest in the afternoon. Cooking service from 8:30am to 10pm with 3 1/2 hours rest in the afternoon.
• Maid service: daily cleaning is ensured 4 hours per day 7 days a week
Staff is available to help with taxi, water taxi, restaurants, and golf course bookings
• Bed linen is changed twice a week (2 changes per week) and bath linen is changed once a day (1 change per day)
• Use of a 6 meters speed boat, 40 hp, for 7 pax within 4 miles of the property, which allows guests to reach Como in 10 minutes (2 miles), Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in 5 minutes (1 mile), George Clooney’s Villa in 20 minutes (3.3 miles).
• Use of 1 two rowers sliding seats wooden row boat
• 60-minute water taxi tour (12 guests) or 1 hour water skiing
• Use of Blevio Village Tennis Court
• Heating and air-conditioning included

Staff | Service on request

• Food and beverage at direct cost (i.e. no mark-up). This fundamental element enables large families or groups to enjoy very high quality food and beverage at their discretion and choice at a fraction of any hotel or restaurant meal costs (estimated average food and beverage cost of 30 Euros per guest per day for the 3 meals)
• Extra cleaning or cook hours
• Personal laundry
• Personal ironing
• Extra change of bed or bath linen
• Gasoline for the speed boat
• Villa telephone
• Transfer from and to the airports
• Villa d’Este’s Sporting Club and Tennis facilities access

FLOORPLANS

To receive the floor plans of this villa contact Katharina or Gaia at contact@excellence.villas

THE AREA

Distances

• The villa is located in the village of Blevio, a typycal village with an old church, a charming square, an harbour, a public waterfront park, public vaporetto dock access and a gourmet restaurant
• Closest private airport Venegono – Varese 30 km/45 minutes drive
• Closest commercial and private airport Lugano 40 km/50 minutes drive and Milan Malpensa 60 km / 50 minutes drive
• Como 5 km / 10 minutes drive
• Bellagio 25 km/ 40 minutes drivce
• Menaggio 32 kilometers / 1 hour drive and 25 minutes by ferry
• Lugano 40 km/50 minutes drive
• Milan 50 km/ 1 hour drive
• Varenna 55 km / 1 hour and 15 minutes drive

Things to do

• Many small towns and villages surround Lake Como and it’s worthwhile exploring as many as you can. It is recommend that you spend the mornings on the west side with the afternoons on the east side of the lake, that way you will always stay in the sun.
• Steamers, boats and buses serve all the main towns on Lake Como. A ferry around the heart of Lake Como (between the key towns of Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia is a must. The most popular of the stops remains Bellagio.
• Bellagio – known as the pearl of the lake is a beautiful little town in a picture-perfect location on the promontory where Lake Como separates into two branches. The town is historic and charming, with a waterfront promenades, stately hotels and two gardens open to the public: Villa Serbelloni and Villa Melzi. Bellagio’s tourist information offices are by the ferry jetty and in Piazza della Chiesa.
• Menaggio is located on the western shore of Lake Como, and has small stretches of shingle beach. From Menaggio you can travel to Lake Lugano or embark on mountain hikes. The town is a useful base for exploring Lake Como; with good bus and ferry connections.
• The fishing village of Varenna has picturesque narrow alleyways and streets below a castle and a lakeside walking path. Varenna is a peaceful resort, smaller than Bellagio and also very beautiful. You can admire views from the Castello de Vezio or simply relax by the lakeside.
• The walled town of Como is a lively and pleasant town with an appealing historical centre and a scenic location at the southern end of the east branch of Lake Como. The impressive cathedral (Duomo), like most in Italy, was built and added to over a period of centuries, so you can admire Gothic and Renaissance features including some fine tapestries and paintings. The town’s earlier cathedral (built in the tenth century), San Fedele, is another fine sight, as are the tall nine-hundred-year-old gateway, Porta Vittoria, and the Romanesque church Sant’Abbondio. The town’s art gallery (Pinacoteca) is also worth a visit. For a short trip out of town, take the funicular up to the top of the hill above Como, where you can enjoy spectacular views.
• Around Como there are many small shops and boutiques, and in the larger towns you will find a great range of boutiques, designer stores and department stores. Wherever you are you are never far from great shopping.
• Then of course there is Milan. Milan is a short train-ride away for those in search of some city life.
• Como is only a few minutes’ drive from the Swiss border and from Lake Lugano. Cross the border into Switzerland and visit FoxTown Factory Stores,a temple of luxury and elegance with 3 km of shop windows, where 160 stores.
• Lake Como boasts some of the very finest Italian cuisine, and is home to a number of world-class restaurants. Check out the back streets and old lakeside towns to find some of the less well known but excellent restaurants. A list of recommended retaurants is available in the property.
• Lake Como boat hire is possibly the finest way to experience the Lake in its full splendour.
• Outdoor Activities – Biking, mountain biking, hiking, boating, paragliding and windsurfing.
• There are numerous hikes and walking trails in and around Lake Como. Around the lake, through the woodlands and up through the hills and mountains offer an enormous variety of hiking possibilities, from easy walks for families to the more difficult for skilled hikers.
• For water sports lovers it is possible to spend entire days sailing or kayaking, windsurfing and motor boating, water skiing and canoeing, wakeboarding and kitesurfing. In Como there is even a hydroplane piloting school.
• Lake Como can also be dicovered by bicycle. Scenic roads, and alternative routes to those followed by the main traffic and some real cycle paths offer the visitor an alternative way of visiting various parts of the lake.
• Lake Como has also several golf courses which can be easily reached by car.

To receive a complete overview of activities and sightseeing in the area, contact Katharina or Gaia at contact@excellence.villas We will promptly email you an exhaustive document.

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