On the western shore of Lake Como, in the municipality of Tremezzina, stands Villa Carlotta; famous for both its art collections and its vast botanical gardens that surrounded it.
Built in 1690 for Marquis Giorgio II Clerici, president of the Senate of Milan, it was originally known as Villa Clerici. In 1801, it was purchased by Gian Battista Sommariva, president of the Comitato di Governo della Repubblica Cisalpina; a statesman and art collector who transformed and filled with masterpieces from his own collection.
In 1843, the property was acquired by Princess Marianne of Orange- Nassau; wife of Prince Albert di Prusia, who gifted it to her daughter Carlotta as a wedding present to Giorgio II; Grand Duke di Sassonia-Meiningen in 1847, giving the villa its current name. After World War I, it passed to the Italian State and since 1927 has since been managed by the Ente Morale Villa Carlotta (Villa Carlotta Foundation).
The villa combines the charm of art and nature. The villa; a 18th century architectural jewel, blends Neoclassical and Baroque elements and houses artworks by Canova, Thorvaldsen, Hayez, Tadolini and Wicar, exhibited in environments that evoked the atmosphere of past eras.
The botanical park, the complex’s true strong, extends over seven hectares. It offers suggestive views of the lake and the mountains and is divided into different thematic areas, from citrus pergolas to camellias, from azaleas to rhododendrons, from tropical plants to cedars, up the bamboo garden and ancient conifers. In spring, the blooming azaleas and rhododendrons colour the paths and make the walk particularly suggestive.