www.localistorici.com - associazione locali storici www.localistorici.com - associazione locali storici
Home About Us Board of Directors Guide 2013 Supporting members Friends Contact Us
www.localistorici.com - associazione locali storici

Entries

Search

soci sostenitori
Entries > Historical establishments > By year of foundation > 1851-1899 > Locale storico > Grand Hotel Villa d'Este

Grand Hotel Villa d'Este
since 1873


Grand Hotel Villa d'Este
There is not another hotel that has such an interesting historical background. Originally built in the 16th century by the Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, it was the favourite residence of royalty including an Empress of Russia, a Queen of England and lesser nobility, before becoming a Hotel in 1873. Now considered the best foreign resort hotel in the world, it has also become the number one choice for Summit meetings.

Address
Via Regina 40, 22012 Cernobbio (CO)
Phone
+39 031 3481
Fax
+39 031 348844 - 348894
eMail
info@villadeste.it
Website
www.villadeste.it
Roles
  • Danilo Zucchetti - General manager
Map
Click on the icon
to view the map


The most scoop-prone

The most scoop-prone
Grand Hotel Villa d’Este at Cernobbio, in the province of Como, where in 1933 after long and shrewd waiting, press photographer Fedele Toscani (father of Oliviero) managed to capture the romance between Bessie Wallis Warfield, better known as Wallis Simpson, and Edward VIII, who shortly afterwards gave up the throne of England so that he could marry her. 


Hitchcock and the Photographers

Hitchcock and the Photographers
The film director Alfred Hitchcock adored the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Cernobbio and used to spend his summer holidays here from 1925 – when he shot a short scene for his first feature film, The Pleasure Garden in the hotel park – until 1970.
It is said he became absolutely paranoid whenever he saw a photographer. One day a fabulous wedding reception was put on at the hotel and, quite naturally, a number of photographers turned up for the occasion. Hitchcock was dining when they came in. He instantly spotted them, gave them a withering look and whispered to the maître: “I’ll leave right now if you don’t throw them all out!” But when he realised the flashes were not at all aimed at him, he calmed down, relaxed, and enjoyed the rest of his dinner.
He was so curious about things that, during one of his stays at Villa d’Este, he even asked to see the kitchens and wanted to know everything about the products and equipment in them.

In the photos: Villa d’Este in the 1920s.


Hollywood Festival

Hollywood Festival
From 1988 to 1992, the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Cernobbio was the venue for the Festival di Hollywood. Many famous actors and actresses turned up: Bette Davis, Lauren Bacall, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, June Allison, Joseph Cotten, and Claire Trevor, to name but a few.

In the photos: the presidential suite and the cardinal’s suite were among the most coveted by the great names of show-biz and those who stopped off at Villa d’Este.


The "Ricordi Floor" at Villa d'Este

The "Ricordi Floor" at Villa d'Este
The Grand Hotel Villa d’Este in Cernobbio opened to guests in 1873 and the first to step through the door was the publisher Giulio Ricordi, who took over an entire floor of the Regina d’Inghilterra wing for the whole season. Giuseppe Verdi was one of the publisher’s first guests, and he was followed by Giacomo Puccini.
For generations the Ricordi family continued to spend their summer holidays on the shores of Lake Como and still today the floor in the Regina d’Inghilterra building is known as the “Ricordi Floor”.

In the photos: the Regina d’Inghilterra pavilion of Villa d’Este and its splendid suite; the entrance to the hotel as it was in the very early years of the 20th century.






© Copyright 2013 Associazione Locali storici d’Italia – all rights reserved
® Locali Storici d’Italia is a registered tradename of the Associazione Locali Storici d’Italia