Villa Balbianello

The palace and park ensemble of the late eighteenth century, located in an incredibly beautiful place, on a cape in the middle of Lake Como.




The villa was built for Cardinal Durini, as a summer residence. In 1974 it was bought by Count Guido Monzino, the first Italian to conquer Mount Everest. He furnished the villa with antique furniture and even laid secret underground passages between the buildings.

According to the will of the Count, in 1988, the villa passed into the ownership of the National Foundation of Italy and now it is a very popular place among tourists.




















If you are traveling without a car, you are likely to arrive by boat at the ferry pier Lenno. From there it is about 2 km on foot to the villa.


Here 45.970670, 9.196797 you can take a boat and reach the villa by water. There is also a parking lot 45.969911, 9.195813.


We walked to the villa by foot and took a boat back. I think it's the best route.




Quite a few movies were shot in the villa, one of which stands out: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). The villa played the role of a refuge for Padme and Anakin on the planet Naboo. It is where they first kissed and, subsequently, married. As everyone knows, this union gave rise to the entire Star Wars saga, as they had very special children.








The most popular scene is Anakin's meditation. Many fans specially come here to recreate it.




Another famous movie filmed here is Casino Royale. In a rather long scene, James Bond was recovering, after a hard day's work.