Villa Balbiano
Subtitle: Italian opulence on Lake Como
By: text, Ruben Modigliani ; photography, Bruno Ehrs ; original watercolors, Andrew Zega and Bernd H. Dams
Contributors: Ehrs, Bruno, photographer; Zega, Andrew, artist; Dams, Bernd H., artist
Edition: English-language edition.
Publisher: Flammarion
Published: 2018
Language: fre
Number of pages: 243
ISBN-13: 9782080203656
Subjects: Buildings, structures; Villa Balbiano (Lake Como, Italy); Domestic Architecture; Lakeside architecture; Pictorial works; History
Other titles: Italian opulence on Lake Como
Description: "From its prominent position on Lake Como, Villa Balbiano radiates a majestic charm emblematic of the most splendid chapter in the history of great villas in the idyllic Italian region. Each successive owner brought new splendor to the villa through additions, new frescoes and statues, and increasingly extensive and sumptuous gardens. The villa's history reached an acme at the end of the eighteenth century, when the enlightened Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini, as master of the house, transformed Villa Balbiano into a crucible of philosophy and art, framed within the villa's archetypical Roman lines. Today, esteemed interior architect Jacques Garcia has undertaken painstaking restoration work that combines a stunning array of precious materials and a worldclass collection of paintings and antique furnishings set against the backdrop of the original design that had been obscured over the centuries. The glorious new restoration inaugurates a new season in the life of the villa in one of the world's most glamorous locations."--
Notes: Simultaneously published in French as Villa Balbiano : splendeurs italiennes sur le lac de Côme.

Includes bibliographical references (page 243) and index.
Table of contents: title: I.; title: Twenty centuries of conquests. --; title: The villa : prestige and pleasure --; title: Lake Como and its history --; title: Villa Balbiano through the centuries --; title: The humanist dream of Cardinal Durini -- -- . II.; title: An enchanting destination. --; title: The eternal beauty of Lario -- -- III.; title: Cultivated eclecticism in the décor.; title: A new season : the interios -- -- IV.; title: A natural refuge on the lakeside.; title: A new season : the garden.