Villa Carlotta, Art museum and botanical garden in Tremezzo, Italy
Villa Carlotta is a white three-storey villa with a symmetrical facade, a projecting entrance bay with a rounded pediment and fan-shaped window, and a balustraded balcony above an arched doorway reached by a double staircase. A glass-roofed conservatory extends from the right side, and statues line the terrace wall in front. The villa stands at the top of a terraced garden overlooking Lake Como and the Bellagio peninsula.
Giorgio Clerici commissioned the building in the late 17th century and several noble families followed as owners. Princess Marianna of Nassau bought it in 1843 for her daughter Charlotte and gave it its current name.
The rooms inside display works by Canova and Thorvaldsen, two sculptors whose marble pieces once adorned European courts. The name honors Charlotte of Prussia, who received the estate as a wedding gift and built up her collection there.
The villa stands at the top of a terraced garden; the entrance faces the lake, the historic access point until the mid-20th century. Two of the three floors are open to the public, with the art collection on the lower floor and a gallery with lake views above.
The garden houses more than two dozen bamboo species and ancient camellias that open their flowers in different months. Citrus tunnels form green passages where you can smell the fruit during warm weather.
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