Bellagio; the Pearl of Lake Como
1629 was a troublesome year for people of the town of Bellagio. Northern Italy was ravaged by a second coming of the bubonic plague, more commonly known as the ‘Black Death’. It came to be known as the ‘Great Plague of Milan’ and it halved the population of the northern states in only 2 years. This period of time in Italy’s history was immortalized by Alessandro Manzoni’s 1840 novel The Betrothed. Although the mountainous geography of Lake Como shielded the inhabitants of the lake for a while, eventually the shadow of the plague reached the Eastern shore. Soon the towns of this side of the lake were decimated, and the people of Bellagio looked on in horror.
The people of small town decided they needed to help their countrymen on the Eastern shore, but the difficulty remained, how to provide aid without running the risk of inviting the pandemic into their own town?
This is where Bellagio’s position on the central peninsula of the lake came into play. A solution was devised. The people of Bellagio grew uninfected corn, which they used to make into bread for the inhabitants of the ravaged eastern shore. The would leave the fresh bread on a large boulder, at the tip of the pier that jutted out into the lake, which came to be known as the bread stone — ‘sasso de panne’. The people of the ravaged eastern shore would visit the pier by canoe, a safe distance from the uninfected people of Bellagio, take the bread and replace it with money left in a jar full of vinegar, which acted as a disinfectant. In the years following, the bread stone was blown up by mines, as it was considered a danger to navigation, but the pier that led to it remains.
Like this anecdote, the little town at the very centre of the lake is full of stories from history. It has enchanted visitors from the time of the ancient Romans. The poet Virgil was a frequent visitor. Pliny the Younger, known for documenting the eruption of Vesuvius and the subsequent destruction of Pompeii had two villas here. The Villa Tragedy was said to be up in the Hills of Bellagio whilst the Villa Comedy was said to be so close to the water that Pliny was able to fish from out of his bedroom window.
On the same grounds upon which the former was said to have been built, Bellagio is now home to famed Villa Serboloni, which has housed everyone from Leonardo Da Vinci & Queen Victoria to Presidents Kennedy & Roosevelt. Part of it has since been converted into a deluxe 5 star hotel. Further inland, a short 10 minute walk from Bellagio town centre, you will find yourself passing by the picturesque Villa Melzi, the residence commissioned by Napoleon during the French occupation of Italy. At the tip of the peninsula there is quaint little family owned restaurant, appropriately named ‘la Punta’ — ‘the point’, that serves the most perfect seafood whilst offering a breathtaking 360 degree view of the lake. As one looks out to the lake, one is also able to see a pier that juts out into the water, about 40–50 metres. This little rock bridge is the former site of the ‘bread stone’ which was previously mentioned.
Lake Como is one of the few places I have found a desire to return to again and again. Each time I do, paying a visit to Bellagio, ‘the Pearl of the Lake’ is always a must. Bellagio itself is perched on one side of a peninsula where the lake branches into its characteristic Y shape. Its most unique location adds to the ambiance of quiet isolation. Mark Twain described it as ‘heaven of quiet rest’. The town itself is home to only 4000 inhabitants, and is walkable in its entirety in 15 minutes.
When here, visiting the the gardens of villa Melzi and Villa Serboloni are a must. I would also suggest visiting the San Giacomo church which dates back to the 11th century. Each of the lake facing porticos enclose cafes that offer excellent Italian food, but in terms of restaurants my personal favourites are ‘La Punta’ at the very tip of the lake, and Enoteca Cava Turacciolo for something indoors on a rainy day.
Simply walking through the terracotta coloured town, on the cobbled streets and amongst the small boutique shops is the best way to get a sense of the place. It truly does feel as though you are walking through a place where time has stopped. The town moves slowly, and the more time you spend here, the more you feel inclined to move slowly with it.
