In the lakeside village of Carate Urio, just fifty metres from the water and steps from the local ferry station, Villa Carate sits on the western shore of Lake Como between Moltrasio and Laglio. The 350-square-metre property dates back three centuries, built upon a fourteenth-century crotto—the traditional natural rock cellars once used by locals for storing food and wine—which now forms one of the villa's most distinctive features: a vaulted dining space with a five-metre-long table, its glass-framed wine cellar carved into the mountain rock behind, naturally cooled and dramatically illuminated.
Como lies ten minutes to the south, Menaggio twenty-five minutes north, with Bellagio and Varenna within forty-five minutes by car or ferry. Milan Malpensa Airport is a thirty-five-minute drive, as is the Fiera Milano exhibition centre. Six of northern Italy's finest golf courses are within an hour. The villa's position on the main ferry route places the celebrated gardens and towns of the lake—Villa Balbianello, Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo, Varenna—within easy reach for day trips, whilst the immediate surroundings offer walking trails into the mountains above and lakefront dining in the villages either side.
The interiors reflect a considered meeting of Scandinavian design and Italian craftsmanship, first renovated in 2017 and meticulously maintained since. Contemporary Scandinavian lighting illuminates spaces furnished with carefully selected Danish and Italian design pieces. The ground floor centres on a semi-professional kitchen fully equipped with professional ice maker, opening to a living area with wood-burning fireplace. The historic crotto provides a separate wine-tasting room with another fireplace, seating twenty around the long table. A second-floor living room offers one more fireplace and views across the lake.
Two distinct gardens extend the living space outdoors. The lakeside garden holds the heated swimming pool—open from Easter through November—with sunbeds, outdoor shower, and a concrete dining table for eighteen, all overlooking the water. A covered gazebo provides shaded dining, with both gas and charcoal barbecues for outdoor cooking. The mountain-side garden offers a more intimate setting with lounge furniture and a prosecco bar, plus direct access to three of the bedrooms. An aromatic and vegetable garden supplies fresh herbs for guests' use. After dark, FLOS lighting illuminates the gardens, terraces, and the villa itself.
BEDROOMS CONFIGURATION
First Floor
Queen bedroom with ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
Second Floor
Queen bedroom with ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
Queen bedroom with private bathroom with walk-in shower
Queen bedroom with private bathroom with walk-in shower
Queen bedroom with ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower
CIN: IT013044C2NDWR3HKT - CIR: 013044-CNI-00051
