India is waiting with bated breath as Bollywood’s famous couple, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, are all set to tie the knot in a dream like ceremony in the midst of the mesmerising Lake Como in Italy.
What has got the whole of India hooked on, is the venue of the ceremonies. The majestic Villa del Balbinaello, is the new found destination that has everyone searching for it on the internet. The stunning villa has an interesting history and is best known for being host to lavish weddings and Hollywood movie shoots.
Let’s understand about this venue.
The beautiful villa is located on the island of Lecco in Lake Como, on the tip of the small wooded peninsula of Dosso d’Avedo. To reach this place, one can either come through the village route or take a ferry ride from Bellagio. The boat ride is stunning in itself, as it passes by quaint villages, churches, forest areas on the side.
History –
A Franciscan monastery had existed on the tip of the peninsula of Dosso d’Avedo since the 13th century. This was purchased by Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini in the 18th century and was later converted into a villa in 1787. After the cardinal’s death, the villa passed to his nephew, Luigi Porro Lambertenghi. During his ownership, the villa became a seat of republican activity and members of the Carbonari met here to discuss the unification of Italy.
After this, the villa passed through many able hands, even falling to neglected times for almost 30 years, before it was bought over by Guido Monzino, an Italian explorer famous for leading the 1973 Italian expedition which reached the top of Mount Everest.
Monzino died in 1988 and left the villa and an endowment to pay for maintenance, to the Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano, the National Trust of Italy. Its grounds now form part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani.
Famous Movies
A number of films have been shot here. This includes A Month by the Lake (1995), His Demise (2016), Casino Royale (2006). The villa was also used for the lake retreat scenes in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002).
James Bond
The famous scene of the hospital, where James Bond recovers after being tortured by Le Chiffre in the 007 movie Casino Royale, is the villa itself.
Star Wars
It’s also featured in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as a beautiful, romantic closing to the movie.
The villa is open to the public from November to mid-March, for a ticketed price.
The guided tour is including a tour of the property. One can see the artefacts from around the world ad feel the historical importance of this place.