Villa Melzi Gardens
Giardini di Villa Melzi d'Eril
A neoclassical villa garden on the Bellagio lakeshore, with a Japanese-style pond, a rhododendron path and lakeside pavilions.
Villa Melzi was built between 1808 and 1810 as the summer residence of Francesco Melzi, vice president of the Italian Republic under Napoleon. The villa itself is not open to visitors. What you visit is the English-style landscape garden along the lake, with large rhododendron and camellia beds, a Japanese-style pond with red maples, a Moorish-style café pavilion by the water, a small museum displaying Egyptian and ancient Roman sculpture, and the family chapel. From the Bellagio ferry pier, it is about a 10-minute walk south along the lake. Entry costs about €10–12, and the garden is generally open from late March to October.
Opening hours
Approx. late Mar–Oct, 09:30–18:30
Nearby sights
- Bellagio
- Villa Carlotta
- Menaggio
- Varenna
- Villa Monastero
- Castello di Vezio
- Villa del Balbianello
- Madonna del Ghisallo