Napoleon Bonaparte may have been many things—a military genius, a statesman, a man of wealth and taste. But perhaps his most notable feature? That bicorne, worn at a rakish, sideways angle, as synonymous with him as his battlefield victories.
Today, only around 20 of Napoleon’s original hats (by Parisian hatter Poupart & Cie) remain in existence, scattered across museums, including the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin and in private collections (in 2023, one went for €1.9 million at auction). But two of them, remarkably, reside on the third floor of the Villa Sola Cabiati, a jewel of neoclassical architecture on Lake Como.
The presence of these relics is no accident. They’re the result of a friendship between Bonaparte and the Serbelloni family, who’ve owned the villa for generations, and who once hosted the French general in their Milan residence, Palazzo Serbelloni [now a hip venue for fashion shows and Salone del Mobile exhibitions]
. And it was there that he left behind these personal belongings. But when World War II loomed and Milan faced the threat of bombing—correctly, as history proved—the family made a crucial decision: they relocated these priceless objects to their summer retreat on Lake Como—and there they remain.
However, not everyone can just rock up by water limousine to admire them. Only the Sola Cabiati’s residents have that privilege—and even then, only at the discretion of its devoted staff: a team of impeccable and discreet butlers and waiters. Should you wish to be afforded that rare access, the Villa could be yours to temporarily float through, available as a whole-house private rental.
High society, digital nomads and Taylor Swift
In its time, this 18th-century mansion, currently managed by Grand Hotel Tremezzo, (also a former villa) has welcomed royalty, Serbelloni dukes, Italian high society and, more recently, the Queen of the Known Universe: Taylor Swift.
There are six impossibly grand and beautiful suites here, including the Suite Gianvico, with its 18th-century wallpaper, velvet chairs, parquet floors and a freestanding bathtub overlooking the lake. Meanwhile, private chefs are on hand to prepare bespoke feasts 24/7, from al fresco luncheons to intimate candlelit dinners.
And for those who can bear to tear themselves away from the villa’s spellbinding beauty? There’s a wealth of experiences beyond its gilded gates: leisurely boat rides at sunset, lush mountain trails for morning hikes, charming lakeside villages to explore. And it’s Como’s natural experiences—which can be neatly interspersed with some high-level digital nomadding—that are drawing visitors and property investors to the region.
“The location is superb,” says Virginie Vassart, CEO and co-founder of Como-based agency Majeli Vassart Properties. “We are near three international airports—Malpensa is just a 40-minute drive.” No excuses, then.
And just an hour away from Lake Como is Milan—Italy’s financial center and fashion capital, home to world-renowned designers, superlative shopping (Via Monte Napoleone is now the world’s most expensive retail street), futuristic architecture and multinational tech firms (Google, Microsoft and Alibaba all have offices here).
Then there are the ski resorts, Vassart points out (the Milan region is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics). “Valsassina and Madesimo, near the Swiss border, are within easy reach too. And for families, the prestigious Swiss schools are just across the border—not to mention Como’s own very well respected international school.”
Como’s history plays as much of a role in drawing the jet set. “The perfect villages scattered along Lake Como’s shoreline, like Bellagio and Varenna, are brimming with history,” Vassart explains. “Every time we take on a new property, we discover more stories, more tunnels, more secret rooms.”
Open the door of say, Villa d’Este, a baroque 400-year-old lakeside villa in Cernobbio, and the Murano chandeliers and Renaissance artworks summon tales of politics, romance and intrigue going back centuries. Wander down the corridors of Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo and it’s easy to imagine Frankenstein author Mary Shelley doing the same during her Grand Tour-era visit.
One of the region’s most storied palaces is Palazzo Pozzi, which overlooks Lake Garlate (linked to Lake Como by a small stretch of the river Adda). One of the stunning properties Vassart and co-founder Simone Majeli are currently listing, “it’s rumored to be the backdrop in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa,” she says.
“It’s so beautiful,” says Vassart. “The palazzo dates back to the 17th-century estate and you feel like you are living through history. It has grand colonnades, plush gardens, a tennis court, frescoes from Romantic painter Cherubino Cornienti and, as well as amazing views of Lake Como, it has its own private lake. It’s the perfect retreat.” And currently on the market for €5 million (US$5.4m).
A new luxury market emerges
Palazzo Pozzi is just one of many centuries-old villas coming onto the market in and around Lake Como in recent years. Some of this ‘fresh stock’ is explained by such properties having hit an ancestral dead-end: many villas have been handed down through local families for generations and some are now owned by multiple grandchildren who would prefer to sell than manage a complicated ‘who stays when’ calendar. The good news for these owners is there’s plenty of demand, especially from overseas buyers, many of whom have visited for a holiday and not wanted to leave.
Marco Spelzini, Villa Manager at Villa Sola Cabiati, tells of a family who stayed in the villa last summer and were so taken that they asked him to arrange a series of viewings. They’ll be returning this summer to move into their new Italian home.
For foreign owner-investors, Italy is also attractive thanks to a tax incentive introduced in 2017. The flat-tax regime sees sees non-domiciled residents pay annual lump sum of €200,000 (as of August 2024) in exchange for exemption from paying tax on income generated overseas. The incentive has revived the market for luxury homes and helped the regeneration of long-abandoned historical sites.
But there’s another reason the wealthy are heading to this elegant region in the shadow of the Rhaetian Alps: Como is cool.
Call it the Clooney effect
Arguably, the contemporary renaissance started with Gianni Versace, who purchased the near-derelict Villa Fontanelle in 1977, restoring it to its neoclassical glory and turning it into a place where Princess Diana and Elton John could vacation. “George Clooney followed in 2002 with the purchase of the 18th-century Villa Oleandra (once owned by the Heinz family),” explains Vassart. The actor’s home is now said to be worth ten times more than the $10 million he paid 23 years ago. Investors take note.
Since then, Lake Como’s status as an A-list magnet has continued apace. Not only did Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, take a tour break here, but Beyoncé, Jay Z and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey were all seen holidaying together in Lake Como in summer 2023. Meanwhile Brad Pitt, Bono and Sir Richard Branson have all been spotted in the region in recent years.
Lake Como’s cultural cachet has also been enhanced due to cameo roles in films and TV shows such as Casino Royale (2006), House of Gucci (2021), Succession (2022) and Mr and Mrs Smith (2024). The area is also enduringly popular with the fashion cognoscenti: Chanel will host its highly anticipated Cruise 2025/26 collection in Lake Como this April.
But people aren’t flocking here just to catch sight of Amal and George Clooney (or to get their dinner comped: rumor has it that when eating in local restaurants, the actor often pays for all the other guests). The A-list will always take second place to Lake Como’s pure dolce vita: ambling through tiny lakeside towns, swimming in its (admittedly glacial) waters or enjoying local stracchino cheese and a glass of Sforzato wine in a rustic trattoria before watching the sunset from Monte Bisbino or hilltop comune Brunate.
It’s been this way for centuries, and William Wordsworth’s 1790 summation still stands: that the world is jealous of Lake Como because it’s a “treasure whom the Earth keeps to herself.” The secret’s out now though—lucky us.
Majeli Vassart Properties is a member of Forbes Global Properties, an invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
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