Villa Pliniana, originally built in the 16th century, is located in the Municipality of Torno, on the west shore of Lake Como. It stands on an isolated cove, next to a natural stream that runs into the lake in the form of a 70-metre high waterfall.
The villa can be approached either via a picturesque walk through the woods, or by boat. From its private dock, the garden is accessed through an underground passageway.
This villa has always been considered among the most interesting in the Lake Como area, and has been declared national monument.
The name “Pliniana” comes from the story that Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, Roman intellectuals from the first century A.D., were the first to actually describe the intermittent spring flowing from the rocks above, in a gorge today enclosed and hidden by the building.
The water flows among layers of “Moltrasio rocks”. In flood time, the water invades an area of about 5 metres, decorated by five small columns topped by Romanesque capitals. When the water is low, it just brushes the base of the small columns on the right side.
Over the years, the villa has hosted a number of historical personalities including Napoleon, Byron, Volta, Rossini, and it was a source of inspiration for the novel “Malombra” by Fogazzaro.
The front of the main building faces the lake with four rows of windows. In the centre of the main floor there is a loggia with three arches supported by columns, shared by two large halls facing the lake. The bedrooms and the more recent modern bathrooms are on the upper floor, with a large spiral stairway made of sandstone covered in wood. Above the stairs the vaulted ceiling is painted to represent a star-spangled sky.