Villa Melzi Gardens

Where: Bellagio
Best for: Lakeside English-style park
Allow: 1 hr 15 min
Tickets: From €10; Checked September 2026

Francesco Melzi d'Eril, vice president of Napoleon's Italian Republic, built his villa and gardens on Bellagio's shore between 1808 and 1810, choosing an English-style landscape park rather than the formal Italian garden of his neighbors.

Paths wind past a Japanese pond, rare trees, a small neoclassical chapel and a museum, always with the lake opening between the trunks. Spring is the season: camellias and then azaleas flood the lakefront walk with color. Your ticket covers the garden, the chapel and the museum; the villa itself remains a private family home. The gardens are seasonal, opening in spring and closing at the end of October.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

The Japanese pond
A quiet corner of the English-style park, unexpected in a lakeside villa.In the gardens
The neoclassical chapel
A small family chapel that is part of the ticket.At the south end of the gardens
The museum in the orangery
A small collection with sculptures and historic objects.In the orangery building
The lakefront walk of camellias and azaleas
Spring color at its best, with the lake opening through the trees.Along the shore

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets: From €10
Booking: No booking needed
Time needed: 1 hr 15 min
Best time: Mid-April to early May for camellias and azaleas; weekday mornings
Getting there: At the southern end of Bellagio's lakefront promenade, a stroll from the ferry landing. Bellagio itself is reached by ferry from Varenna, Menaggio and Cadenabbia, or by road along the Lake Como peninsula.

Free for children under 11. The ticket covers the garden, chapel and museum, and is valid for the day only if stamped at the ticket office. The private villa is not open. The gardens close from November to March. Last updated September 2026. Prices change, so check the official site before you go.