In the heart of the town of Moltrasio, overlooking Lake Como, is the magnificent Villa Passalacqua, one of the most beautiful nineteenth-century historic homes in the area.
On June 3, 2022 this magnificent property reopened its doors to the public in the form of a luxury hotel with 24 suites spanning three different buildings: the main villa, the Palazz (the old stable) and the Casa al lago. , an elegant annex overlooking the waters of Lake Como and which includes 4 suites each with a private garden. Prices are certainly not for everyone, but for those who can afford it, the doors of unique experiences will open. In fact, there is talk of 1500 euros per night for two people, with breakfast, excluding taxes.
The luxurious and elegant rooms of Villa Passalacqua are complemented by an incredible Italian garden, designed by Emilio Trabella and enriched during the renovations by a magnificent swimming pool, surrounded by a solarium. Also noteworthy is the new lounge area that overlooks it, created in the old winter garden.
Among the amenities of the villa there is a magnificent gym immersed in the olive grove, a meditative space for yoga, a rose garden with attention to the smallest details, and above all a private pier where the structure offers its guests two boats, the Giumello, completely in mahogany with an antique flavor, and the Didi, a modern cabin cruiser.
A restaurant could not be missing inside Villa Passalacqua. And what a restaurant! Managed entirely by the executive chef Mauro Verza, who with his 25 years of experience serving the most important Milanese families is really what is needed for a qualitative leap, the guests of the structure will also have the opportunity to talk to us or attend cooking lessons. . The restaurant room is housed in one of the historic halls of the villa, among frescoes, stuccos and tapestries, but in the summer it moves outdoors, in the shade of the awnings that overlook the magnificent panoramic terrace.
Story of a family of successful entrepreneurs
The vision of renovating Villa Passalacqua and turning it into a luxury hotel is the merit of the De Santis family, in the figures of Paolo, Antonella and their daughter Valentina. The family already has considerable experience in the field of hotel accommodation, as they are already the owners of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
The De Santis first entered the property in October 2018, when it was at auction and they were the only ones to bid. Valentina remembers that “the auction was closed and nothing was known, I thought there were less than 10 bids, and we were sure that there would be at least one bidder who would not set limits on the price, which was not for us. absolutely possible. We absolutely did not believe that we could have won it. ” In the end, however, they made it, to the delight of the locals, certain that the family would give new life to the villa, thanks above all to the experience with the Grand Hotel Tremezzo.
What is certain is that the De Santis family had the capital available, both for the auction and for the restructuring, which according to some estimates cost around 20 million euros in total.
The history of Villa Passalacqua
The Villa Passalacqua project dates back to the end of the eighteenth century, built on an area that was originally owned by Pope Innocent XI. The client was Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua, and the work was entrusted to the architect Felice Soave and Giocondo Albertolli.
When the villa became a reality, in a short time it began to serve as a meeting place for the intellectuals of the time: its walls hosted personalities of the caliber of Napoleon and Winston Churchill. The villa became the home of the composer Vincenzo Bellini, and it was here that he wrote La Norma and La Sonnambula, two of his most famous works.
