Villa Giulia, Neoclassical villa in Bellagio, Italy
Villa Giulia is a neoclassical villa in Bellagio, on Lake Como in Italy, built around a three-floor central body with rusticated stonework on the lower facade and two symmetrical side wings. The ensemble sits on a hillside above the lake and is surrounded by a formal Italian garden with a central fountain.
A count commissioned the house at the end of the 18th century and had it completed in 1806 as a tribute to his wife. It belongs to a series of grand lakeside residences that wealthy families built around Lake Como during that same period.
The ballroom inside the villa rises across two floors and is decorated with frescoes showing scenes from classical antiquity. These paintings give a direct sense of the artistic taste that guided the original owners in shaping the interiors.
Reaching the villa from the waterfront requires climbing a long stone staircase, so comfortable footwear is a good idea. Once at the top, the garden offers shaded areas where visitors can sit and take in the surroundings.
From the property, both branches of Lake Como are visible at the same time, something that very few spots along the lake allow. This rare viewpoint was most likely a key reason the building site was chosen in the first place.
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