CastaDiva, building in Blevio, Italy
CastaDiva is a hotel in Blevio on Lake Como, set in a Liberty-style villa on a hillside overlooking the water. The property is made up of the main building, several annexes, and two private villas, all surrounded by terraces and gardens that step down toward the lake.
The villa that now houses the hotel was built in the early 1900s in the Liberty style. Before that, the opera singer Giuditta Pasta had owned an earlier property on the same site in the 1800s and added a colonnade designed to echo the look of the Milan opera house.
The name CastaDiva comes from an aria in Bellini's opera Norma, a role that made Giuditta Pasta famous on the stages of Milan. Her portrait appears in several spots around the property, and the reference to opera life is woven into the decoration of the common rooms.
The property sits on a steep hillside reached by a winding driveway, so arriving by car requires care and a little extra time. Once inside the grounds, golf carts are available to move between the various buildings and terraces spread across the slope.
The restaurant L'Orangerie serves dishes with unexpected pairings, such as scallops with caviar and spicy popcorn. The wine list moves from light whites from Lake Garda to rare bottles like Sassicaia and Château Margaux, covering a wide range of styles and origins.
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