Property of the Lombardi family in the 1890s, the core of Villa Làrio was transformed in a multi-level hotel structure over Lake Como in 2015
The story of the Lombardi family in Pognana Lario
When the Lombardi Family arrived on the spot in Pognana Lario where Villa Làrio lays today what they originally saw was a stone quarry and an enclave on the lake that was used as a port. It seemed the ideal place for Il Signore Lombardi, patriarch of the family, who had a passion for boats and engineering. He thought that that little port would be perfect to house his prototypes, right on the lake to be able to test them.
Mr. Lombardi would proceed to build a villa, now Il Palazzo, right above this port. The ancient spot would remain the only access to the villa by the lake until the 1950s. And how they managed to transport from there the six-meter-high one-piece granite columns that face the lake still to this day.
This is the story that narrates the origins of Villa Làrio, dating its origins around the 1890s. The tale is remembered today, becoming part of the bedtime stories that are delivered to guests of the hotel structure today; when water for the night is delivered and rooms tied up before dinner a small sheet of paper delivers a curiosity about the place where they are going to sleep.
The restoration of Villa Làrio on Lake Como
The restoration of the building complex that now constitutes Villa Làrio started in 2015, where the Lombardi family villa was built right above the port on the waters of Lake Como, less than fourteen kilometers away from the Como city center.
During the renovation process, four buildings, spread among different levels over the hill that faces the lake, were put together, surrounded by plots of gardens and trees. Il Palazzo – the original villa of the Lombardi family – can be reached by boat via the dock right behind the building. On the upper levels, hooking into the slopes of the hill and reachable either from the upper street or via elevator, are located Villa Bianca, il Padiglione, and the Garden Suite.
Eighteen suites were obtained overall from the different available spaces, with a design choice revolving around the concepts of cleanliness, linearity, and modernity. The design objects, mostly from the Como-based brand Castagna 1939, are put in dialogue with the classical lines of the buildings.
The buildings of Villa Làrio in conversation with the surrounding space
Imagining to dock from the private port, where four orange deck chairs stand under the sun for some rest in the lake breeze after a swim, the first location for the guest to explore is Il Palazzo. The 1890s villa hosts today eight suites, all facing the lake. Two junior suites, four master suites, one master tower suite and an attic, with three bedrooms. Other than the suites, the building hosts at the ground floor a two hundred and fifty square meters reception space that can be accessed via the colonnaded terrace through a glass door.
The restoration of the space managed to save some original elements of the villa, dating back to the Nineteenth Century, such as the fireplace next to the bar, which was originally part of the kitchen of the Lombardi family, and the armories which were integrated into the Penthouse Suite.
In the terrace, thanks to the conservation work carried out by Danilo Carelli, the frescoes have been brought back to life.
A hidden curiosity that is worth being explored are the common restrooms that can be accessed descending two flights of stairs from the reception. On the underground level walls were replaced by a glass window that faces the boat shed.
Around Il Palazzo the grass of the garden and the palms, magnolias, camellia plants, and the century-old cedar offer shady areas where guests can relax and have an aperitivo on the sofas.
From the lake to the hills, the levels that compose Villa Làrio
An elevator connects Il Palazzo with the ‘Pavillon’ area. Perched on a cliff overlooking the lake, the Pavilion is a private villa offering a two-bedroom space with adjoining bathrooms. The presence of an independent kitchen, living room and dining room, solarium, and private access to the pool and garden make this a suitable spot for families with children.
Villa Bianca occupies the first and second floors of the main building, adjacent to the infinity-edge pool. The suites, all with views on the Lake, can offer either a private terrace (corner suites) and garden access. On the top floor of the property, the one hundred and forty square meters Penthouse has three bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a living room and a private terrace.
Over the pool floor and close to the upper reception is finally located the restaurant area, with indoor and outdoor space to accommodate tables in the open area on sunny days, and seats to drink an ‘Aperitivo La Dolce Vita’ at sunset. Thanks to its position on the eastern shore of the lake the sun rises behind the hill guaranteeing some shadow during the morning and fades in front of Villa Làrio.
The cooking experience by chef Alex Visconti
Villa Làrio offers to staying guests and external clients the possibility of having a dinner experience at the restaurant facing the lake guided by the young chef Alex Visconti. The distinguishing feature of Visconti’s cuisine is the attention to Italian ingredients, with all products are selected from local agricultural holdings.
The main focus of Visconti’s kitchen is the seasonality, with a periodical change of the menu proposals based on the time of the year. A peculiarity is the choice of not structuring the menu on the classical ‘starters’, ‘first course’ and ‘second course’ selection to choose five main ingredients. The Spring offers Gorgonzola, Grana, turnip greens, puntarelle (chicory), and hazelnuts, in a contrast of flavors.
No-waste and in-house cultivation: the Botanical Garden project
Among the new projects launched for the 2023 season is the ‘Botanical Bar’. Within a stone area with seats, tables, and suspended hammocks to have an aperitivo served by the mixologist Raffaele Alba. The ‘Botanical Garden to glass’ drink list offers a selection prepared with botanicals directly from the garden of Villa Làrio, in a no-waste mixing.
The farm-to-table philosophy is therefore implemented both on the restaurant side and on the bar area as ‘garden-to-glass’. This is the reason why the property took the decision to reserve a space of the garden for the cultivation of aromatic plants, to create a low waste sustainable beverage menu. Moreover, the presence of the misologists allows the creation of homemade liqueurs and syrups.
The ‘botanical cocktails’, the lacto-fermented lemon vodka, green tea kombucha, cocoa bean and wild fennel vermouth can be sipped at sunset in the cedar garden, in the terrace or on the new suspended bar.
Villa Làrio
Villa Làrio is a boutique five-stars hotel, with eighteen suites, located on the shores of Lake Como in Pognana Lario, about thirteen kilometers from the Como city center. The 19th Century property, distributed over several levels, was property of the Lombardi Family facing the lake and was recovered and integrated in 2015.
Anna Polgrossi
