Villa Oleandra, Historic villa in Laglio, Italy

Villa Oleandra is an 18th-century residence on the shore of Lake Como at Laglio. Pale yellow walls rise above a grey stone water-level base, topped by a broad, low-pitched grey slate roof with several small chimneys along the ridge. The front facade has three rows of openings: rectangular windows with dark green shutters and white surrounds, taller shuttered windows below, and ground-floor openings behind a projecting stone balcony on columns. Small lamps sit between the upper windows, and climbing plants partly cover the base.

Villa Oleandra is an 18th-century residence on Lake Como at Laglio. In 2002 George Clooney bought it for 10 million dollars from the family of Henry John Heinz, the ketchup magnate. He later sought more privacy in Lierna without success. By 2015 offers of ten times the purchase price valued the villa at 100 million euros, private luxury villas on the lake being rare.

The villa's name comes from the oleander shrubs of its lakeside grounds. Since 2002 it has been owned by actor George Clooney, who bought it from the family of Henry John Heinz, the ketchup magnate. Its fame rests on that ownership rather than on public visits, and it is often cited as a symbol of prestige among Lake Como properties.

Villa Oleandra stands directly on the shore of Lake Como at Laglio, so it is best seen from the water or from the public lakeside road of the village. The property is private and closed to visitors; the facade, with its grey slate roof and green shutters, is visible from outside.

In 2002 George Clooney bought the villa for 10 million dollars from the family of Henry John Heinz, the ketchup magnate. By 2015 offers reportedly reached ten times that figure, around 100 million euros, as private luxury villas on Lake Como are scarce. He had earlier tried without success to move to Lierna for more privacy.