Villa Ponti Bellavista – Gio Ponti’s Floating Masterpiece Above Lake Como
Midcentury Glamour Meets Alpine Serenity in One of Italy’s Most Iconic Private Villas
Design – An Architectural Legend Brought Back to Life
Perched 600 meters above Lake Como, Villa Ponti Bellavista is Gio Ponti at his most visionary. Commissioned in the 1960s by the Milanese Fossati family and now lovingly preserved, this 500-square-meter villa is a time capsule of modernist elegance—part mountain retreat, part luxury liner, all design history.
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11 curved windows form a luminous arc, glowing like a ship’s bridge by night
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A helix staircase links the villa’s flowing levels with sculptural grace
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Details echo Ponti’s nautical fascinations: chimneys like ship funnels, balconies like cruise decks, and maritime lanterns dotting the façade
Inside, it’s pure midcentury fantasy. From custom terrazzo floors and Ponti-designed furniture to sleek modular storage and pastel tiling, the aesthetic is unmistakably his—functional, playful, and always elegant.
Location – Above It All, Yet Close to Bellagio
Though only 7 km from Bellagio, the villa feels utterly remote, suspended above the lake’s bustle and surrounded by forests and Alpine peaks. It’s the Como dream, reimagined: think sunset Negronis on a cliffside terrace, views of the Grigne mountains, and total privacy.
Rooms – Designed to Live In, Designed to Dream In
The villa offers six bedrooms, each with its own personality. The master suite is a showpiece, featuring Ponti’s dashboard headboard, a futuristic creation with built-in controls for light, sound, and shelving—a concept debuted at the 1951 Milan Triennale and still bold today.
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Three bedrooms open onto panoramic terraces
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Original furnishings evoke the golden age of Italian design
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Crisp lines, soft textures, and thoughtful lighting throughout
This isn’t just accommodation—it’s inhabiting a design philosophy.
Atmosphere – Like Stepping Into a Film Still
From the outside, Villa Ponti floats like a luxury liner; from the inside, it’s like living on a Mad Men set directed by Fellini. There’s an undeniable glamour here—cinematic, cerebral, and incredibly serene. Whether you’re flipping through a Taschen monograph or simply soaking in the silence, it’s a place that feeds the senses and the soul.
DNA Hotels Verdict
Villa Ponti Bellavista is more than a villa—it’s a living museum of 20th-century Italian design, a rare architectural treasure with soul, story, and staggering views. For design devotees, aesthetes, and those seeking the ultimate Como hideaway, this is bucket-list material.
