On the shores of Lake Como, Villa d'Este perpetuates a certain idea of European luxury, amid sculpted gardens and silver cypresses. Turned into a hotel in 1873, this former princely residence embodies a refined art of living, where every detail - from the fresco to the silver service - makes up an Italian showroom.
But before Villa d'Este became a haven for stars and creators, it was the scene of a long aristocratic history. Built in the late 16th century as Villa del Garovo, it was commissioned in 1568 by Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, Secretary of State to Pope Pius IV, who entrusted its design to the architect Pellegrino Tibaldi. Conceived as a holiday residence, it is organized around terraced Italian gardens, punctuated by fountains, nymphaeums and mythological sculptures. After the cardinal's death, the villa passed from hand to hand, until it was renamed "Villa d'Este" in the 19th century in honor of the marriage of a princess of the House of Este. It was above all Princess Caroline of Brunswick, wife of the future King George IV of England, who gave the villa its romantic cachet. Exiled from the British kingdom, she settled here in 1815 and transformed the estate into a cultural and social Mecca, with concerts, costume balls and botanical experiments.
Long frequented by royalty and artists in search of inspiration, the Villa has seen the likes of Wagner, Churchill and Garbo. Today, it attracts a new global aristocracy of film stars, politicians and designers. At the Veranda table, George and Amal Clooney escape the hustle and bustle of Laglio, while Barack Obama takes a break from the hustle and bustle. The décor remains unchanged: suites with painted ceilings, symmetrical gardens, hushed service. But the way we look at these places has changed. The décor has become a showcase for contemporary representation, a mirror of desire, comparable to that which animates the great Parisian showrooms, where people come to observe, select and be inspired.
This convergence of heritage and fashion crystallized in May 2025, when Chanel took over the Villa's floating pool to present its cruise collection. A podium on the water, where spotlights cut through Renaissance volumes while silhouettes glided between statues of Neptune. Tilda Swinton, hypnotic muse, danced there like a baroque figure returned from a dream; Dua Lipa watched the show from the balustrade, capturing the moment in an almost cinematic light. At that moment, the Villa became something else: a world stage, a salon of modernity set in the marble of history.
The lake's hotel ecosystem feeds this aesthetic dynamic. Passalacqua, voted best hotel in Europe in 2024, combines local craftsmanship with contemporary design. Il Sereno, designed by Patricia Urquiola, cuts its mineral lines against the horizon. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo, with its orange parasols and open-air spaces, cultivates an art of contrast between Dolce Vita and bold design. All these places have understood that, beyond comfort, what attracts people today is a brand experience. As in Paris, where showrooms are no longer mere exhibition spaces, but vectors of narrative.
