Villa Ponti Bellavista is a mid-century house whose design carries the unmistakable influence of Gio Ponti, one of Italy's most celebrated architects — though how directly he was involved is still something we're working to pin down. The villa has been carefully renovated over the years to keep as many original 1960s features as possible, from the ensuite tiles to the vintage furniture chosen to match the era.

The villa sits in three acres of private forest above Bellagio, with 180-degree views spanning the Lecco arm of Lake Como across to the Swiss Alps. We called it The Cloudhouse at first, because from the top living room you often find yourself looking down on the clouds.

That room's nautical feel isn't a coincidence: Ponti spent years designing interiors for transatlantic ocean liners, and the ship's-bow fireplace and eleven windows echoing a liner's observation deck point straight back to that work. The original design drawing, found by the Fossati family when they were packing up to leave, is signed by two young architects invited into Ponti's studio straight out of graduation. We're currently working with a researcher digging through archives in Como, Milan, and Parma to trace exactly how deep his influence on this villa runs.

I'm Barbara, and while I'm not on-site as often as I used to be, our villa manager Luiggi looks after day-to-day care and ensures every stay runs smoothly. We deliver a warm, personalised service, modern business amenities, and the highest housekeeping standards, all in a carbon-positive environment where comfort is key. We've welcomed guests from around the world, from soccer stars to actors and well-known entertainers, and not one has left without saying it's even better in person than in photos.