The villa was built for Francesco Melzi d'Eril, who served as Vice President of the Italian Republic under Napoleon.
Composer Franz Liszt stayed at the villa for several months in 1837 and drew inspiration from the gardens for his work 'Années de pèlerinage'.
Stendhal referenced the villa and its beauty in his travel writings about Italy.
The gardens host a collection of ancient sculptures and artifacts gathered by the Melzi family during their political tenure.
The garden was one of the first examples of the English landscape style in Italy, prioritizing natural flow over traditional Renaissance symmetry.
The park features a Moorish-style pavilion known as the 'tempietto' near the lake edge.
The grounds contain an underground cistern system dating back to the 19th century used for water management.
Some of the exotic trees planted during the Napoleonic era, such as the Liriodendron tulipifera, are still standing today.
I Giardini di Villa Melzi is an 800-meter-long botanical garden situated along the shore of Lake Como in Bellagio. The park surrounds the neoclassical Villa Melzi d'Eril, commissioned by Francesco Melzi d'Eril in 1808. Designed by Luigi Canonica and architect Luigi Villoresi, the grounds feature an English-style garden layout rather than formal geometric beds. The path follows the lakeshore, integrating exotic plants, Japanese maples, and centuries-old cedar trees. The site includes a private chapel, an orangery, and an archaeological collection of Egyptian and Roman antiquities. The garden is noted for its spring blooming season, particularly the azaleas and rhododendrons. It remains a private property, with the gardens opened to the public seasonally. The layout purposefully utilizes the natural topography to frame views of the Grigna mountains across the water.
The lakeside path near the Moorish pavilion, which captures the villa architecture with the lake and mountains in the background.
Wear comfortable, flat walking shoes to navigate the gravel paths and slight inclines.
Visit the orangery, which often houses a small museum exhibit related to the villa's history.
Bring a camera with a wide-angle lens for lake-view shots.
Do not attempt to enter the Villa building itself, as it is a private residence and closed to the public.
Open seasonally from spring through late autumn; closed during the winter months.
Stay on marked paths to protect sensitive vegetation; dogs must be kept on a leash.
