In the North of Italy along the border with Switzerland, with very high mountains such as Mount Bernina (4050m), Pizzo della Presolana, Adamello (3554m) the region is crossed by the Po river, the largest in Italy, in the South, and by many of its most important tributaries, the Ticino, Adda, Oglio, Mincio, that all form a number of lakes, making the region the richest of large lakes in Italy: Lago Maggiore, Lago di Varese, Lago di Lugano, Lago di Como, Lago d'Idro and Lago di Garda.  Also the area is outstanding for its monumental romantic waterways.  Tourism is also a remarkable activity in the mountain resorts, countryside and valleys.

The main crops, especially in the wide Pianura Padana, are wheat, rice, maize, barley, and the region is first in Italy for farming, with a considerable production of meat, milk, dairy products and quality cuisine.  Typical dishes - risotto, ossobuco and zuppa pavese. The "panettone" is the local cake; while wines include Barbagallo, Chiaretto and Tocai del Garda.

It is also the region where industry and finance are most developed, and Milan is the seat of the Italian Stock Exchange (Piazza Affari).   In addition to Milan, Como, Pavia, Brescia, Cremona, Bergamo and Mantua are rich in art treasures.

• Milan - the whole region is identified with Milan, the capital, one of the world's leading commercial centers and heavy industry, and of course there is the home of famed La Scala Opera House
  
• "lake district": Como, with Griante Cadenabbia, Bellagio, and Tremezzo, etc.; 
• lseo; the shores of Lake Maggiore with Luino and Laveno
• the shores of Garda with Salo, Desenzano, Sirmione and Gardone 
• the Italian shores of Lake Lugano. 
• The Valtellina and Valcamonica mountain resorts need no introduction: Ponte di Legno, Madesimo, Bormio, and Chiesa Valmalenco, etc.  
  

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Milan  is a vibrant, energetic city offering a variety of activities to suit the tastes of any traveler.  This metropolitan city is burgeoning with a wealth of fashion, economic, research, artistic, and social opportunities.  We shall visit the Cathedral, Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery, The Scala Opera House and its square, the Sforza Castle and The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci and much more...  

Here are some of the highlights and numerous things to do and see that will allow you to sample Milan's best.

The Last Supper by Leonaardo da Vinci

• Santa Maria Della Grazie
This Gothic Church holds - The Last Supper, by Leonardo Da Vinci - the most famous depiction of this dramatic Biblical scene which has been painstakingly restored, but is still much faded compared to the numerous modern reproductions that you can take home with you.

The artist used an unstable dry-painting technique rather than fresco, and so much paint has faded and flaked off over the years that it has become difficult to appreciate the work for the masterpiece that it once was.  Enough is left, though, to catch the daring compositional scheme and Leonardo's bold use of primary colors—looking fresher since the end of a 20-year restoration in 1999. 

There are also beautiful religious mosaics made from the Vatican school, and the altar where Padre Pio (a well known Catholic saint) said mass, stands in the middle of the presbytery.

Avoid visiting on weekends and at peak periods such as Easter or Italian public holidays.

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 8.15am to 6pm. Visits are limited to 15 minutes, in groups of 20. Booking is essential and reservations are only accepted 60 days prior to visit.   This can be arranged ahead of time by our company.

• The main square of Milan is overshadowed by the Duomo - cathedral, the city's most famous landmark with its fairytale forest of spires, ornate herds of fierce gargoyles, and army of perched stone saints, Milan's Duomo looks more like a Disney castle from a distance than a place of worship.  It's the fourth-largest church in the world and one of Europe's great Gothic cathedrals.  

Begun in 1386 and consecrated in 1418, the Duomo was a work in progress for centuries (the facade was only completed early in the 19^th century, under the orders of Napoleon).   To fully appreciate the wealth of exterior ornament—and for a fine view over the city and the Piazza below—take the elevator to the roof. The highest of the estimated 3,400 statues is the famous Madonnina, a four-meter-tall, gilded copper Virgin Mary, touchstone and protectress of the city.  Inside, the lofty roof is held up by 52 columns, one for each week of the year - the stunning stained-glass windows, some of which date back to the 15^th century.

At the left side of the Duomo there is the imposing department store La Rinascente.  From the snack bar on the 8^th floor you can enjoy the view of the Duomo consuming a strong Italian espresso coffee.

• Teatro alla Scala
After a three-year, $70-million renovation, the world's most famous neoclassical opera house reopened in December 2004 complete with two controversial new rooftop structures designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, and some vastly improved stage machinery.  Thankfully, the opulent auditorium has not been reworked, only painstakingly restored: Its tiers of ornate gilt boxes, magenta velvet seats, and elaborately carved ceiling look much as they did when the present building was inaugurated in 1778.

A long-running behind-the-scenes power struggle, which culminated in 2005 with the resignation of longtime artistic director Riccardo Muti, has not dampened the locals' passion for their temple of bel canto, and it's well-nigh impossible to get tickets for the ultradressy opening night of the season on December 7 (book well in advance the rest of the year, too, if you want to be sure of a good seat).

Museo Teatrale alla Scala consists of a rather specialized collection of vintage musical instruments, scores, and memorabilia relating to famous composers and singers associated with the opera house.   But it also allows visitors a glimpse into the auditorium from one of the boxes—a privilege that is suspended only on rehearsal days.

• Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II connects the Cathedral's Square with the La Scala Square.   Built in 1877, the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II is Milan's most ancient shopping complex; elegant lounge with luxury boutiques, restaurants and cafes. The main entries of the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele II  have the form of triumphal arches (see above). The spectacular glass roofing of the gallery forms a cross that is well visible from the cathedral's roof.  

• In the centre of the Gallery there is the fascinating mosaic floor with the appearance of a carpet that shows in the center, the symbol of the Savoia Royal Family • N.B. Look out for a picture of a famous mosaic bull on the arcade  floor, (above picture) which  according to an ancient tradition, says that you ought to spin around its testicles in order to make a wish • The 4 symbols in every part on the floor represent the capitals of the Kingdom of Italy in various periods: Milan, Turin, Florence and Rome •  top of the central octagon demonstrate the four continents Africa, Asia, Europe and America • the 24 statues in the Gallery represent Italian important personalities, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Alessandro Volta a.o.m. 

• Castello Sforzesco, a fine example of Renaissance Architecture and one of Europeans oldest castles, was once the seat of power for the mighty Sforza family who ruled Milan in the 14th and early 15^th centuries.  Originally built by the Viscontis and Sforzas, the building was started in 1368, but was extended and renovated continually throughout the family's reign.  The castle has been rebuilt several times throughout history.

Many exquisite art collections can be found inside these palatial walls including the art of Michelangelo, tapestries, and century old costumes. Today, it is home to several major museums — the Museum of Ancient Art, Prehistoric and Egyptian collections of the Archeological Museum, and collections of medieval and renaissance furnishing, musical instruments and jewellery.

Other landmarks, old and new, that we recommend for your "must see" list, include:

• Pinacoteca di Brera
  Milan's most worthwhile picture gallery is housed on the upper story of the city's still-functioning art academy. Take time over rooms six to nine of this chronological collection, home to some real Renaissance gems, including Andrea Mantegna's Dead Christ (a dazzling exercise in foreshortening), Giovanni Bellini's moving Pietà, and Tintoretto's dynamic Miracle of Saint Mark. Other standout canvases in later rooms include Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Piero della Francesca's Pala Montefeltro, with its oddly stiff, posed portrait of 15^th century warlord Federico da Montefeltro in celestial company. Closed Mondays.

   

• Corso Di Porta Romana - A walk through this ancient Roman gate will lead you into many culturally rich attractions, including the renowned University Bocconi, a well-established business university, and the Parco Ravizza, a garden park.

   

• Fondazione Prada - Not merely a fashion genius, Miuccia Prada is an inventive patron of the arts.   Her contemporary-art foundation, housed in a former bank archive in the eastern suburbs, is involved in a range of projects, including the restoration of neglected cinema classics, but its main activity is the organization of two major shows each year (spring and fall) dedicated to cutting-edge contemporary artists. The space is only open when exhibitions are on view; check the Web site for dates.    Open Tuesday through Sunday during exhibitions, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m
   

• Porta Ticinese (Ticinese Port) Via Molino delle Armi.  During Roman times, this gate opened to a small port at the convergence of the Norone and Seveso Rivers.
  

• Arco della Pace (The Arch of Peace) – Piazza Sempione

   

• Triennale - Built in the 1930s, this lofty pavilion on the edge of the Parco Sempione gardens has found new life as an exhibition venue and design center after years of decline. Originally built to house a triennial art show—hence the name—the renovated space now plays host to temporary exhibitions of contemporary art (Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat were recent subjects) and architecture.

   

  The ground-level café, with its mismatched designer-classic chairs, has become a popular meeting spot, and the adjacent shop is a good place to stock up on art books and gift items.   In November 2006, the Triennale opened, Triennale Bovisa, in a former industrial suburb in the northwestern outskirts that is fast becoming a university and cultural hub.  In November 2007, the Triennale opened a sister gallery to what Milan so shockingly lacks: a museum dedicated to the city's strong 20^th-century design tradition. 

   

• Stazione Centrale - Piazza Duca d'Aosta.  Done in the Art Nouveau style, this is one of the largest and most impressive train stations in all Europe.
  

• Grattacielo Pirelli (Pirelli Tower) - Piazzale Duca d'Aosta.  Built in the 1950s on the site of the original Pirelli tire works, the tower is a symbol of the modern city.
  

• Giardini Pubblici / The Public Gardens - Designed back in the late 1700's, these beautiful park gardens provide breathtaking views. Another welcome addition to the park is the Boschetti, or the little woods. The park includes refreshments and snacks, miniature trains, and bumper cars for entertainment.  An additional bonus is the free admission!
   

• Milan Markets - Avid shoppers won't want to miss out on a trip to one of Milan's many mercati. The Mercatone dell'Antiquario del Naviglio Grande is an antique market featuring over 400 merchants selling everything from books to furniture. The Mercato di Vivale Papiniano is one of Milan's largest markets and is filled with bargains.  This market is known for it terrific fashions, most notably its shoes.
   

• Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecina 'Leonardo Da Vinci (The Science and Technology Museum) This museum houses the world's best scientific and technological collections including a separate area known as the Leonardo Da Vinci Gallery, which of course showcases the inventor's great ideas.
   

• Just Cavalli Cafe - You may want to end your sojourn with a fashionable and sophisticated evening at the Just Cavalli Cafe, owned by fashion designer Roberto Cavalli. At this posh and chic cafe, you can enjoy the fine interior showcasing Cavalli's design.  You may find yourself in the company of a number of celebrities who often visit there.

• Lago d'Orta - Cited by many as "one of the most romantic Italian lakes," this lovely lake is a great place to collect your thoughts. Linger for a while and take in the beautiful serene scenery, or head on over to San Guilio, a nearby, old town built around the lake. The nostalgic charm of old Italian traditions offer a welcome respite as you stroll along this quaint little town.
   

While the architectural heritage of Milan is of considerable interest, Milan is also a paradise for those who enjoy haute cuisine and haute couture.  Along with Paris and London, Milan is one of Europe's most powerful fashion centers.  The importance of design, however, is not limited to fashion, but extends to furniture and industrial design of all kinds.  Shoppers, with money to burn, will not be disappointed with what they find in the beautiful shops that line the central commercial zone.

Milan is Italy's most important financial center, featuring international-scale banks and  brokerages, and also Italy's largest stock exchange.   Most of Milan's major media groups, advertising agencies, and commercial head offices are located in Milan.

Topping it all off, Milan is also one of Italy's most important educational centers, with more than a dozen universities and a Polytechnic Institute of international repute.

It is also a city of considerable refinement and sophistication.   It is, as some say, a European city, not an Italian city.   But, that is a superficial assessment.   Milan and the Milanese are Italian, through and through.

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Lake Como

• Morning: Como to Bellagio Boat Tour

During the cruise we will show you the most interesting spots and Villas.   Between Como and Bellagio, we will find Villa Pliniana, Villa Erba, Villa D’Este, Villa del Balbianello, Villa Pizzo, Villa Fontanelle, Villa Rosa, Villa Passalacqua and Villa Hocevar  We stop for lunch in Bellagio.

• Villa Fontanelle -This magnificent villa, owned by the late designer Gianni Versace, is bordered by splendid park grounds, which are open to the public for a fee. The Versace villa, built in the first half of the 19^th century by an eccentric Englishman, was a shambles when Mister Versace purchased the property in 1977 and required a total rehabilitation. Although interior pictures are few, there are several descriptions of the villa that indicate Mister Versace spent much time and many millions personally doing up the interiors in a manner consistent with the house's neo-classic architectural style.

The four story villa is most often described with words like lavish, grandiose, and imperial and Villa Fontanelle is unquestionably a dignified and magnificent piece of architecture. Gianni Versace's beloved Villa Fontanelle in Maltrasio, an itty bitty village on the shores of northern Italy's ritzy and glitzy Lake Como.   According to WWD, the flamboyant fashion house was preparing to sell the large lake front house to Sunland Group, an Australian entity who happens to be Versace's bizness partner in the Palazzo Versace hotel project.

March 16^th report in The Times reveals that the Versace villa is actually in the process of being purchased by a 46 year old ruble rich Russian restaurateur named Arkady Novikov, a man who is often referred to as the "Blini Baron."  Sources close to the transaction have whispered to the good people at The Times that the sale price is a hefty, but not inconceivable for Lake Como, £26,000,000. That's $52,371,020, 1,245,555,680 RUR, and €33,985,151 for all the international children.
 

learn much more>>

http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2008/03/versaces-villa-fontanelle-sold.html

• Villa del Balbianello is a villa in the comune of Lenno, at the far end of the peninsula Lavedo overlooking Lake Como. The peninsula is covered with woods and reaches far into the lake, famous for its elaborate terraced gardens and is not far from the Isola Comacina.  Thanks to its unique position, the view from the villa is splendid. 

The villa was built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery for the Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini.  The two towers which can be seen in the picture, above, are the campanili of the convent church.   After the cardinal’s death in 1796 Giuseppe Arconati Visconti bought the villa and made improvements to its gardens and the loggia with a wonderful view of the gulfs of “Venere”and “Diana”.

In the 19^th century the villa belonged to the Porro-Lambertenghi family. The writer and patriot Silvio Pellico was a visitor in 1819.

By the early 20^th century the buildings had fallen into a state of neglect when an American military officer, Butler Ames, purchased and renovated the villa and its garden.   In 1974 it was bought by the explorer Guido Monzino (leader of the first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest), who filled it with rich collections, including artifacts acquired on his expeditions.   Monzino, who died in 1988, left the villa to the Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, the National Trust of Italy. Its grounds now form part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani.

Film appearances
A number of feature films have used the villa for location shooting, including:

• A Month by the Lake (1995), 

• Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002),

• Ocean's Twelve (2004) 

• Casino Royale (2006).

Villa Carlotta is a place of rare beauty, where masterpieces of nature and art live together in perfect harmony in over 70.000 square metres of gardens and museum. The beautiful villa was built at the end of XVII century by the Milanese marquis Giorgio Clerici in a natural basin between lake and mountains, facing the dolomite Grignas and the peninsula of Bellagio.

In 1801 Gian Battista Sommariva, famous politician, businessman and patron of arts, bought the villa.

The villa was built in 1747, became a temple of XIX century art with works contains Thorwaldson's famous marble freize of Alexander the Great's triumpal entry into Babylon, sculptures by Canova, Thorvaldsen and Hayez: Palamedes, Eros and Psyche, Terpsychore, The last kiss of Romeo and Juliet are only some of the masterpieces that enriches the extraordinary collection.   The garden is laid out on a steep terrace leding onto the lake.

Under Sommariva part of the park was transformed in a fascinating romantic garden. Sommariva's heirs sold the villa in 1843 to Princess Marianne of Nassau, Albert’s of Prussia wife, who gave it as a present to her daughter Carlotta in occasion of her wedding with Georg II of Saxen-Meiningen.   Hence the name Villa Carlotta. 

Very fond in botanic, Georg enriched the park, today of great historical and environmental value.   The gardens of Villa Carlotta chiefly owe their reputation to the rhododendrons’ and azaleas’ spring flowering, consisting of over 150 different sorts.   But the gardens are worth to visit in every period of the year: old varieties of camellias, century old cedars and sequoias, huge planes and tropical plants, the Rock garden and the Ferns valley, the Rhododendrons wood and the Bamboos garden, the agricultural tools museum and the wonderful views on the lake built in the ages the celebrity of this place, still today consider "a place of heaven".

Now the property of the State.

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Bellagio  

Bellagio is a beautiful hilly town in a perfect-picture location on the promentory where Lake Como separates into two branches.  The town is historic and charming, with promenades, stately hotels and gardens open to the public, including Villa Serbelloni. Bellagio Tourist Information Office is in Piazza della Chiesa.

• Basilica di Giacomo (Basilica of James) is considered an excellent example of Roman - Lombard architecture, XII cent., built between 1075 and 1125 by the Masters of Como.  

It is known that in 1657 San Giacomo (St. James) became an autonomous parish, having become a separate parish which previously was part of St. John's, the mother church. It was the Sfondrati family, a name also found connected to the Villa Serbelloni, which gained the right of patronage over the new parish and who prompted the transformation of the building to coincide with the 16^th century style. This was later decried as spoiling the church's former beauty and so it was returned to its original architecture.  In 1904 it was declared a "national monument."

The church has undergone many reconstructive periods. 

Inside:

• The garden of Villa Melzi was built by Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Vice President of the Italian Republic founded by Napoleon.    He entrusted its design to Giocondo Albertolli, a famous architect who supervised its construction (1808-1810).  The neoclassic villa, was conceived as a summer residence and has held important political meetings. 

A long tree-lined road of planetrees start from the boat’s landing-place; azaleas and giant rhododendra’s gardens, superb terraces, flower beds, surround the villa and disclose little hidden spaces as the artificial cave or the japanese lake called “little water-lily’s lake”.   

In the flower-bed near the villa and on the balcony are exposed busts and classical statues and sloping, meticulously maintained lawns.  There is also a gazebo on the lakeshore of the grounds, which is described as a "coffee house" on the walking map.   

The visitors can enter in the chapel, that looks at the little harbour of Loppia, where the graves of the noble family are preserved.   In the orange-groove contiguous to the villa there’s a little museum located in the Orangerie adjacent to the villa where are exposed napoleonic antiques, witness of the loyalty of count Melzi of Eril to Napoleon, and booties from the Egypt campaign of the last years of XVIII century: especially appreciated from the visitors is the egyptian statue that represent a dignitary of Ramsete II’s court (1230 a.C.) and the lion-headed godness of war. 

You'll want to allow at least an hour to an hour and a half to walk the spacious grounds.  The villa is a national monument. 

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Como is indeed stunningis and perhaps the most famous town on the lake, enchanting combination of lush Mediterranean foliage and snowy alpine peaks.  It's very lively, charming and pleasant town with an appealing historical centre and a scenic location at the south end of the eastern branch of Lake Como. 

Panoramic views, are from the banks of the lake, especially the walk from Piazza Cavour, in town, to the Villa Olmo.  Como has been popular as a resort since the days of the Roman Empire. Visitors ever since have admired the blue waters and relaxed in luxurious villas in the wooded lakeside slopes above.  Today, most of the towns around the shores of Lake Como are popular with tourists, walkers, cyclists and swimmers.
 

One of the stately villas along the promenade

 

Afternoon: Como at Leisure

•   Walking along the narrow streets of the Medieval town you can reach Porta Torre and its walls.  

Como has a very beautiful and romantic lakeside!  Ideal strolling down the path about  sunset.   We start off from the monument of Alessandro Volta, passing by the stadium, yachting and aero club, and then following the lake curve as it leads you onto the promenade.

• The Promenade following the path that leads you along the lake to Villa Olmo.  You'll pass in front of stately neoclassic villas and their beautiful lake approaches on the breath-taking lake shore that leads to Villa Olmo.

• Villa Olmo was once the summer residence of the Visconti Family. The name, Villa Olmo, is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm which no longer exist.   It was built at the end of the 18^th Century.  Inside, it has a magnificent three floor hall, enriched with stuccoes and wonderful balconies.  All this is on the shores of the lake and its garden is now open to the public.  Villa Olmo hosts most of the cultural activities such as: concerts, rehearsals, congresses and exhibitions.

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