  Bellagio
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| Page Views: 2,265 Last Visit to Bellagio: March, 2004 | Oh, So Bella Bellagio by starship - last update: Aug 15, 2007 |
(This site is still under construction)
Visiting Bellagio in March of 2004, was one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to begin building this page. But in any case, let me tell you a little about how I had the good fortune to visit Bellagio and Milan and Como as well.
In 2003, the two professors I work for began proposals for an international conference which ultimately was funded by a grant enabling them to gather together about 22 international scholars for a week long conference to be held at the Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. The Villa Serbelloni (not to be confused with the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni) is a beautiful and historic villa which is now owned by the Rockefeller Foundation and is used as a study & conference center. I worked so determinely for months on the details of the conference which was a major undertaking. I never expected to be invited but as time drew near to the conference, there were some last minute cancellations by important guests and consequently, just after New Year's, I was invited to travel to Bellagio with all expenses covered by the grant. Of course, I had to work at the conference, but it was an absolute pleasure.
If you are lucky enough to be invited to the Villa Serbelloni, you are among a small and select number of individuals who will ever have that privilege. So it is with extreme humility and gratitude to the two professors that I can say that I have been one of a small number of people who have visited and stayed at the Rockefeller Foundation's Study and Conference Center at the Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio.
Villa Serbelloni has the happy fortune to be situated on the hillside promontory which divides the two arms of Lago di Como or Lake Como on a large amount of acreage. Beside the Villa itself, there are many other residences on the gated property, and I had a very pleasant room to myself in one of these other buildings. Breakfast was in the common room of my building, but each lunch and dinner was served in the formal dining room of the Villa itself, preceded by a cocktail hour and followed by music in the drawing room. Of course, the conference sessions were held during the day and I was, of course, there as a support person who was lucky enough to just be in the presence of such a distinguished group. |
| Salita Serbelloni view from the top |
|  | About Bellagio ~ Because of its location, Bellagio has a rather strategic postion on Lake Como and therefore has seen its share of history having served as a fortress, been the sight of many battles, and been graced by the presence many notable people. Poets and artists have been drawn to Bellagio and Lago di Como for centuries. Shelly, Longfellow, Stendhal, Flaubert and Liszt have all come to drink in the beauty of Bellagio.
Pliny the Younger built his villa, "Tragoedia" on the spot where the Villa Serbelloni now stands. It was on this same site thatStilicone defeated the Visigoths at Bellagio and built a fortress. Today there are still material reminders of Bellagio's medieval defense system. "Salita Serbelloni" is a steep set of steps which ascend from the Lungo Lario Manzoni ( in Borgoall the way to Via Garibaldi on the edge of the Villa Serbelloni's property. The Salita Serbelloni is know to locals as "il Fossato" or the ditch, because long ago it was a ditch used in defending the old town. Portions of the thick town walls in which there were 3 gateways can still be seen.
Today, there are shops, restaurants and hotels on the town's waterfront, and the Salita Serbelloni has also evolved into a center for activity with many shops, cafes and some small, quaint hotels on each side of the many steps leading to the top. |
| | The Legends of Bellagio "Sasso del pane ~ The Bread Stone"
About 1630, a plague of epidemic proportions enveloped most of the areas around Lago di Como. But due to its geographic position of being located on a penisula, Bellagio remained uninfected as did its food supply. The town of Varenna was one of those which fell to the epidemic and food supplies and trade were necessarily cut off. However, the people of Bellagio baked bread for the people of Varenna but of course had to avoid contact with them. So the people of Bellagio place food on a large rock in the lake. The buyers of this bread from Varenna then took the bread and left money in a jar filled with vinegar which acted as a disinfectant. This legend is described in a book "I promessi Sposi" (The Betrothed) by Manzoni.
NOTE: I found this legend very interesting & remarkable, but a similar tale is also told in a current book, "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks.
"The Statue of Jesus"
This legend tells of a flood that occured about the end of the 17th century. The Rivers Adda and Mera overflowed their banks and destroyed a small church in Valtellina where there was a wooden statue of Jesus known as "Intero". It is said that the statue was carried by the water and eventually washed up on the beach at Bellagio! The statue was never reclaimed by anyone in Valtellina, so the people of Bellagio proudly preserved the statue and it is said that even today it plays an important part in the "Good Friday" procession |
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| Pros: | "Georgeous views, lakefront hotels, and quaint streets!" | | Cons: | "Expensive to stay here, but it's worth it!" | | In A Nutshell: | "Too beautiful to miss!" |
starship's Bellagio Travel Tips
 Comments for starship about Bellagio | | | | |
icunme Thu Nov 29, 2007 21:31 UTC
Enchanting photos here and a place I must see. Thank you for a lovely tour and much privileged information. | domenicococozza Wed Sep 12, 2007 16:51 UTC
Thanks for checking out my Sicily pages. My family are from the mainland but we,ve been going to Sicily on a regular basis for 30 years. I agree with you about Palermo. Not much there really | deecat Tue Aug 14, 2007 17:56 UTC
Update 08/14/07 I'm simply "blown away"! I loved Bellagio when we were there, and we were fortunate to have massages at the Serbelloni. Stayed at Florence Hotel next to Serbelloni. Your pages are truly 5-star all the way! | globetrott Fri Aug 3, 2007 16:25 UTC
wow, so many great palazzi, the rich and wealthy people really know where to build their houses, even when they use them only for a few days each year ! |
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