Travelers and artists have been charmed by the landscape of Lake Como for centuries, and continue to be today, with the lake a favorite destination of celebrities and the international jet-set. Lake Como, located about 50 kilometers from Milan, between the provinces of Como and Lecco, is Italy’s third largest lake, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore, and the deepest – it reaches 410 meters. Along its shores are numerous splendid villas, the holiday homes of the Lombard wealthy class beginning in the 16th century.

Villa Monastero in Varenna is one such villa and a great time to visit is the spring, when its stunning botanical garden begins to bloom. Villa Monastero was originally a Cistercian female monastery founded at the end of the 12th century; it became a private residence in the 17th century, and was later renovated and decorated in eclectic style, especially between 1897 and 1909, by its last owner, the German Walter Kees. Today it houses a convention center and the International School of Physics Enrico Fermi, frequented by as many as 34 Nobel prize winners.