Once you finally reach Bellagio, set as it is at the tip of a pointy landmass in the middle of Lake Como, the first thing that may strike you is how small it is, especially given its larger-than-life reputation.

This is the town — calling it a city would be an overstatement — that’s wowed Roman emperors, Austrian archdukes, Romantic poets, Fascist dictators, and, more recently, an ample mix of Hollywood glitterati, the old moneyed crowd and a new generation of travelers. It really did inspire Steve Wynn to build Bellagio in Las Vegas, and it really is as beautiful as everyone says it is.