Villa Del Balbianello is situated at Lenno at the far end of the peninsula Lavedo. The peninsula is covered with woods and reaches far into the lake . Thanks to its unique position, the view from the villa is splendid. Cardinal Angelo Durini had it built in 1787, where there was a small Fransiscan monastery. The complex is formed by two square constructions and a loggia with a wonderful view of the gulfs of "Venere" and "Diana".

The Villa has a delightful landingstage from where a flight of steps leads up to the garden. The garden's structure follows the natural from of the terrain. At some points there are steep rocks, that from terraces at various heights where lawns, hedges, cypresses and chesnuts succeed each other. After the death of Cardinal Durini the villa was sold to Giuseppe Arconati Visconti. He enriched the garden and the loggia. Aftern a period of neglect, the villa was bought, just after the fist World War, by the American general Butler Amos. He renovated the whole complex. After He death the property was bought his collection of artpieces and reminders of his explorations to the villa. In 1988 the count left the Villa to the FAI, the Italian National Trust.

Villa Carlotta is situated in the town Tremezzo. The villa and the gardens date from the fist half of the 18th century and were built for the Marchese Clerici as a summer home away from Milan. The 18th century gardens were laid out in the former classical italian style. The neoclassical villa stands above three terraces linked to the lake along the central axis by a series of double stairways with imposing balustrades.

At the entrance, set in within high hedges of camelais, there is a rounded fishpond. The villa was inherited by Giovanni Sommariva in 1795. He enlarged the park and updated the villa with neoclassical stucco work and a clock added to the roofline. The property was purchaged in 1842 by Princess Marianne of Prussia who gave it to her daughter Carlotta on her marriage to Prince George of Sax-Meiningen. They devoted much attention to the gardens and they created an English garden complete with a "jungle dell" banked with trees, fernes and exotic flowers. Lots of exotic trees like palms, eucalyptus, magnolias, sequoias, were planted along lanes. The layout today is much as the Saxe Meiningens left it at the beginning of the fist world war. The Villa Carlotta draws crowds especialy in April and May for its blazing display of colour - with different varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas. Inside the villa there is a museum dedicated to neoclassical art with prominent pieces of art such as statues by Canova; paintings by Appiani and Hayez, gobelins tapestries.

Also Count Francesco Melzi d'Eril, Vice president of the short lived Napoleonic - Italian Republic (1801 - 1803) like many influent families from milan, had a big representive villa built on the lake with a big park. Villa Melzi lies on the southern edge of Bellagio directly on the lake. The villa was built in 1808-10; Count Melzi's taste for the neo-classical style came from Napoleonic France and inspired his choice of architect (Giocondo Albeltolli).

White columns flank the landingstage in front of the villa and enhance the classical style of the house when viewed from the lake. The garden was first example of an English garden on the lake. The axis of the garden extends up the slope from the lake to a high point above the villa. It is crossed by many winding paths. Under the trees, along the shore and at the intersections of the paths, are Egyptian sculptures and Roman statues which add to the romantic atmosphere of the garden. According to the taste of the period lost of exotic trees were planted. Fascinating is the Japanese pond with waterlilies, surrounded by Japanese maple trees and cedar trees. In April And May you can admire the blooming of the azaleas and rhododenrons.

Villa Monastero is situated on the lake side at Varenna on the way to Fiumelatte. The villa, as the name indicates, was a Cistercian convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen. It was founded in 1208 by a group of faithful followers who had escaped from Comacina Island, after the Island was destroyed during the war between Milan and Como.

In 1567, the convent was dissolved and the villa and grounds were bought by the noble family Mornico from Cortenova in Valsassina.
In 1645 Lelio Mornico completely changed the old convent into a splendid abode. Over the years, various families owned the Villa, making various improvements to it. And finaly, after having been appropriated by the goverment, it was sold to Marco De Marchi, who left the Villa to the Hydrobiology and Linology Institute. From 1963 the villa had become in a few years an international cultural and scientifical centre. At present the Villa is owned by the C.N.R. (National Council of Research). The villa stands in a magnificent park where citrus, cypresses, pine trees and agave grow and streches over more than a kilometer. Statues and bas-reliefs can be admired along the paths among the numerous Mediterranean and tropical plants. Connected with Villa Monastero is Villa Ciressi, recently purchased by an association of local government, which also had become a cultural center. It also has a splendid garden with lots of cypresses hence the name. The Villa originally belonged to the Serpontis, one of Varenna's oldest families.

Villa Serbelloni is situated on the wooded promontory of Bellagio which divides the lake in 2 branches. The villa is surrounded by approximately 50 acres of perk and garden; the main house has a breathtaking view of the lake and the mountains. The villa was built in 1605 for the owners of the promontory, the Sfondratis, and in 1788 it was bought by the Serbellonis, a Milanese family who developed the property and the garden much as it is today.

The estate was given to the Rockfeller foundation in the late 1950s and the villa is now used as a conference centre and as an international study centre for scholars and artists. The lower pert of the garden is an informal parkland planted with olive trees and Italian cypresses. This is traversed by a long winding drive leading up to the main house. The upper garden behind the villa is mainly woodland and contains a belvedere with a fine view of the Lecco branch. The more formal part of the garden , nera the house, dates from the 18th century and consists of three curved terraces on which there are many fine topiary specimens , as well as flowering plants and shrubs. A separate small garden has a fountain dedicated to Cecilio Plinio.