Painting of one the most impressive buildings at the Italian Lakes.
Villa del Balbiano is a historic lakeside palazzo on the western shore of Lake Como, in the small town of Ossuccio, Lombardy. Built at the end of the 16th century for Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio (Secretary of State under Pope Gregory XIII and later Bishop of Como), it was designed on drawings attributed to Pellegrino Tibaldi and has since evolved into one of the lake’s grandest private estates.
The estate now covers roughly 2–3 hectares (about 3 acres) of manicured gardens with lake and mountain views, a private pier and boathouse, and both indoor and outdoor pools. (nice)
Interesting facts...
Often used for filing it appeared in House of Gucci and stood in for lake scenes in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which filmed there in spring 2025. However a much more impressive story is this.
Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini (who bought Balbiano in 1787 and turned it into a glittering literary salon). According to the legend, on 28 April 1796—amid the French Revolutionary advance—Durini tried to flee to Switzerland, stuffing his clothes with gold coins and valuables. The weight is said to have caused a fatal hernia on the spot; his hoard was then hastily buried somewhere in the villa and has never been found, despite decades of searching by later owners and locals.
Villa Balbiano’s address is:
Piazza Cardinale Durini, 22010 Ossuccio CO, Italy
