Villa Pliniana is a stunning 16th century palazzo located in the village of Torno, Italy and set on an 18-acre private estate on the banks of the famed Lake Como. Exuding Italian charm and romance, Villa Pliniana is the premier luxury residence in Lake Como and also is available to host exclusive weddings and group events. The Villa was recently restored and brought up to the highest contemporary standards, while maintaining the charm and historical details of the original design.

Managed by Sereno Hotels, Villa Pliniana is less than 1,000 yards from the hotel group’s new Il Sereno, Lago di Como hotel, which opened in 2016. Villa Pliniana is the third property in the Sereno Hotels collection, with the first being the exquisite Le Sereno, St. Barth and Villas. Il Sereno Lago di Como and Villa Pliniana are members of Leading Hotels of the World and Virtuoso.

Lake Como has long seduced visitors with its natural beauty and dramatic vistas of the southern Italian Alps. As a destination of choice for European aristocrats and today’s glitterati, Lake Como remains the epitome of a glamorous vacation destination.

The Villa’s location, architecture, history and incredible views are unique; but what really sets Villa Pliniana apart is the Pliniana Water Source that exits in the central court of the Villa, descends through one of the apartments and exits on Lake Como.

A professional jetty assures the safe mooring of boats and Sereno Hotels’ custom-made Riva transfers. A heli-pad allows easy connection to Milan, and main airports. Access by car all the way to the Villa is by a private road connecting to the main road.

The Villa Pliniana complex and its 18-acre gardens are available for families and groups with an opportunity to buyout the villa for your private getaway. The Villa Pliniana complex offers 10-17 luxurious bedrooms within four large apartments in the main villa plus three additional standalone villas, which in aggregate can accommodate up to 39 guests. The accommodations range from one to four bedrooms and 2,206 square feet to 4,057 square feet in size.

The two large ballrooms of the Villa are equipped to host events up to 200 guests. The picturesque waterfront gardens can accommodate up to 500 guests for large weddings and events. Two large meeting rooms, dining room, a kitchen fully equipped for private catering services, a reception hall and a billiard room round out the multi-function space. In addition, the Estate has a covered heated pool, spa, Turkish bath, Scottish showers, sauna, a heliport, ample parking and a large jetty. Each of the villas in the Pliniana complex boasts lake views and is equipped with the state-of-the-art technology.

Sereno Hotels has once again partnered with Patricia Urquiola to re-design select interiors at Villa Pliniana. Full historical restoration of the existing buildings was recently completed, and the Villa was brought up to the highest contemporary standards while maintaining the charm and historical details of the original design. Of particular note are the elaborate Venetian terrazzo-style floor designs and the painted wooden ceilings in the two main ballrooms. The villas are exquisitely decorated with 21st century comforts mixed seamlessly with the timeless frescoes, boisieries, terrazzo floorings and fireplaces. A highlight of the Villa is the piano where Gioachino Rossini wrote the Opera Tancredi in 1813, which still rests at the same spot where he once sat but is now lovingly renovated.

The Villa’s site is first mentioned by Pliny the Elder in the first century A.D., which is what gave it its name. Since then, many naturalists and scholars have written about the very particular Pliniana wellspring, including Leonardo da Vinci. Villa Pliniana’s land was originally selected and built on by Count Giovanni Anguissola in 1573. The heirs of Count Anguissola sold the Villa to Pirro Visconti Borromeo in 1590. Later, under the Canarisi family, who became the owner of Villa Plinana in 1676, the Villa reached its maximum splendor. Over the centuries, the Villa has been visited by many artists, scientists and monarchs, such Lord Byron and Napoleon, widely loved for its beautiful panorama.

Poet Percy Shelley described Villa Pliniana in a letter to a friend in 1818:
"This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty [...] But the finest scenery is that of the Villa Pliniana so called from a fountain which ebbs and flows every three hours, described by the younger Pliny, which is in the courtyard. [...] The scene from the colonnade is the most extraordinary, at once and the most lovely that eye ever beheld. On one side is the mountain, and immediately over you are clusters of cypress-trees of an astonishing height, which seem to pierce the sky. Above you from among the clouds, as it were descends a waterfall of immense size, broken by the woody rocks into a thousand channels to the lake. On the other side is seen the blue extent of the lake and the mountains speckled with sails and spires [...]".

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