Lake Como

Bertone Concept Cars up for Auction at Villa d'Este

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Concept cars are typically designed and crafted as one-of-a-kind creations by automakers or independent design studios, shown at a couple of expositions, and then disappear into museum collections. But every once in a while, these radical rarities come up for sale or auction. And that once in a while is about to arrive, and arrive in a big way, this coming May. That's when the venerable Bertone Museum collection will cross the auction block.

The six concept cars were all created in the 1960s-1980s by the famed Italian design house, which is now facing a restructuring and is selling off much of its collection. The items up for auction are the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal, 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, 1963 Chevrolet Testudo, 1974 Lamborghini Bravo, 1980 Lamborghini Athon and 1978 Lancia Sibilo concept cars, ranging in pre-sale price estimates between six figures and as much as $2.5 million apiece.

The sale is being conducted by the venerable RM Auctions as part of its first event during the prestigious Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como on May 21.

Tags: bertone, concept car, Concorso dEleganza Villa dEste, lake como, rm auctions, villa deste

Rare $5 Million Ferrari Stars in RM's Villa d'Este Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Rare $5 Million Ferrari Stars in RM's Villa d'Este Sale

A rare 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta by Pinin Farina (above) is expected to fetch up to $5 million at RM Auctions' debut sale during the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Lake Como on May 21. Resplendent in two-tone ivory and metallic blue, the unique Ferrari, s/n 0490 AM, was the last 375 MM built and reportedly the last Ferrari to carry the famed 'Mille Miglia' designation. Displayed on the Ferrari stand at the Turin Motor Show in 1955, its first owner was official Ferrari dealer and gentleman racer Inico Bernabei. 0490 AM was later acquired by Count Antonio Naselli before being exported to the U.S. In 2003, it was the recipient of an extensive, concours-quality restoration returning the car to its Turin Motor Show specifications. It has since been displayed at a number of the world's most prestigious concours events, including the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2004 where it was judged 'Best in Class', as well as the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in 2005.

Tags: classic cars, Ferrari, Ferrari 375, Lake Como, RM Auctions, Villa dEste

Boating Like a Celebrity on Lake Como

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

Want to jetset like the stars? Head to Clooney's favorite vacation spot, and you can. Lake Como has long been a paradise for Italian glitterati and celebrities alike, but due to the expense, it can often be prohibitive as a vacation destination. Now, thanks to the services of the Matteri Yacht Club, you can live the life of the stars - at least for a few hours - at a reasonable rate. Headed by a team of experienced yacht restorers with centuries of combined knowledge and experience, these waterman will accompany select clients on guided lake tours in vintage Riva motor yachts or Aquarama sport boats.

Sip prosecco on the padded leather seats while the drivers regale you with a historical tour of the area, from downtown Como all the way to towns like Bellagio. En route, you'll pass homes like the famed Villa Versace and Villa Oleandra, the holiday home of George Clooney. You'll also pass residences used in movies like Star Wars and the private home of Virgin executive Sir Richard Branson, as well as several for sale and recently acquired villas that can be purchased for only 70 million euro or so. A person can dream, right?

Charter information available at http://www.matteri.com/

The writer's visit was sponsored by CastaDiva Resort, but her opinions are entirely her own.

Tags: george clooney, italy, lake como, riva motor yachts

CastaDiva Resort: Paradise on Lake Como

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

CastaDiva Resort, the motto is simple: "the answer is never no, and yes can always be had ... for a price." But priceless beauty and impeccable service is what you'll get at this 75-room ulra-luxe resort, the first of its kind to open on the lake in nearly 100 years.

It's not everyday one gets the chance to travel to Lake Como, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay at the former villa of famed opera singer Guiditta Pasta, now a luxury resort. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity. An eight-hour overnight from New York to Milan landed us at Malpensa International Airport, just 45 minutes from the hotel proper. A uniformed driver and the resort's private Mercedes shuttle were waiting to take us to our destination, procuring coffee and water along the way. Luca, the driver, energetically pointed out the sights and sounds along the way, waxing poetic about the beauty we were soon to see at CastaDiva.

Tags: castadiva, george clooney, italy, ItalyVilla, Lake Como, Lake Como villa in Italy, lugano

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1955 Maserati Wins Coppa d'Oro at Villa d'Este

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

A rare 1955 Maserati A6GCS Spider bodied by Frua (above), owned by American collector John F. Bookout Jr., won the historic Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este – Best of Show by Public Referendum at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este which took place April 23-25 at the famed Lake Como resort in Italy. The beautiful roadster also won top honors in the Post-War Open Sports Cars class. The Best of Show awarded by the judges at the event, which was sponsored by the BMW Group, went to a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Teardrop Coupé bodied Figoni & Falaschi owned by another American collector, Oscar Davis. The Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award for concept cars and prototypes went to the Zagato Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa Coupé that my colleague Noah Joseph previewed last week. Over 5,000 visitors attended the event.

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Tags: 1955 maserati, Alfa Romeo, BMW, classic cars, Concours dElegance, Italy, Lake Como, Maserati, Villa dEste

1938 Alfa Romeo Wins Louis Vuitton Concours Award

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

American Jon Shirley's stunning 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Touring Berlinetta has won the coveted Louis Vuitton Classic Concours Award, selected from Best of Show winners at the world's most prestigious automobile concours d'elegance. To qualify, the vehicle may only be restored using original parts. The Alfa Romeo took home the top prize at last year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Lake Como. Since 2005, Louis Vuitton has recognized excellence in the closely related fields of Classic Concours, for historic cars, and Classic Concept, an award presented to a modern designer making the most significant contribution to the styling of today's cars. The Concept Car Award goes to the vehicle which the jury believe has the greatest potential to win a concours d'élegance in 40 years' time. This year's award was presented to Adrian Van Hooydonk, Design Director of BMW, for the amazing BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept vehicle unveiled at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Tags: Alfa Romeo, BMW, concours delegance, Lake Como, Louis Vuitton

George Clooney Not Selling His Italian Villa

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

We can't resist a good real estate rumor and this is a hot one. The Telegraph is just one of the sources reporting that George Clooney is putting Villa Oleander, his home on Lake Como in Italy on the market and that soccer star David Beckham is battling Russian vodka billionaire Roustam Tariko to buy the home. The home is supposedly quietly on the market for around 30 million euros. Clooney bought the home in 2001 for around 7 million euros. After Clooney bought the home, real estate in the prestigious vacation area spiked, the so-called Clooney effect.

The Beckhams borrowed the home last year but it really doesn't look like they'll be moving in. Clooney has released a statement denying the fact that the home is for sale and dashing the rumor that he planned to move to a small island in order to foil paparazzi. In his typical humor the statement says in part: "the story was made up, then picked up and now denied. End of another riveting day of false news."

Tags: david beckham, DavidBeckham, george clooney, GeorgeClooney, lake como, LakeComo, roustam tariko, RoustamTariko, villa oleander, VillaOleander

Ralph Lauren's Bugatti Stars in Lake Como Concorso

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Events

At the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy on April 24-26, designer Ralph Lauren will be presenting his multiple concours-winning 1938 Bugatti Atlantic 57SC (above), one of only three built. At the event, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, Lauren's beautiful car, worth several million dollars, will be making its first European appearance in 18 years. The Concorso is held at the ultra-luxurious Grand Hotel Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, where part of Casino Royale was filmed, and which we featured in our post on the world's most luxurious private gardens. More than 50 classic beauties spanning six decades of motoring history have been selected to appear at this year's Concorso, which is presented by BMW with sponsorship from Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux, while bespoke coachbuilders Bertone and Zagato will stage world premieres of their new concept cars.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Bugatti, Girard-Perregaux, Italy, Lake Como, LakeComo, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, Villa dEste, VillaDeste

Contents of Versace's Villa Fetch High Prices

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

It wasn't as huge as the Yves Saint Laurent sales but the auction of the contents of Gianni Versace's Italian villa (as comprehensively covered by my colleague Jared Paul Stern in January) adds weight to the idea that the art and antiques curated by a person of famous taste have special value. Sotheby's brought in 7.4 million pounds ($10.4 million) from the London sale of the paintings, furniture and objets d'art from Villa Fontanelle on Lake Como. The number handily beat presale estimates of around 2.5 million pounds and all except nine lots were sold.

Like the Saint Laurent sale, the Versace sale was a chance to pick up pieces personally selected by a man of great taste. The two men had different styles but shared a taste for exquisite furnishings and artwork. Top lots included a pair of Italian cherry wood bookcases by Karl Roos that were commissioned by Princess Pauline Borghese, sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, for the Library at Palazzo Borghese in Rome in 1814 and sold for 481,000 and 601,000 pounds compared to estimates of around 80,000 and 90,000 pounds.

Mario Tavella, an Italy-based Sotheby's deputy chairman told Bloomberg's Scott Reyburn that some of the bidders had known Gianni and that other wanted pieces because of the connection to the designer. The most expensive lots went to European collectors with the more inexpensive pieces being snapped by Russian clients.

One piece, "Portrait of Major George Maule" by German artist Johann Zoffany was pulled before the auction when a direct descendant of Maule contacted the Art Loss Register and was concerned that it had been stolen years before Versace bought it.

This sale was the last of four Versace sales held by Sotheby's that includes the contents of Versace's Miami and New York homes. Total proceeds exceeded 38 million pounds.

Source

Tags: antiquities, art, auction, borghese, gianni versace, GianniVersace, lake como, LakeComo, sothebys, villa fontanelle, VillaFontanelle, yes saint laurent, YesSaintLaurent

Beckhams Borrow Clooney's Lake Como Villa

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Sports

George Clooney is quite a pal. According to Hello magazine, the movie star just lent his lavish $6 million villa on Italy's famed Lake Como (above) to soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife Victoria. Beckham, whose taste for the finer things in life has been often noted here, is being fought over by two soccer teams, the LA Galaxy and Italy's AC Milan. The Beckhams will take some relaxing time out at the villa while waiting to see the if LA Galaxy will release him from his contract and allow a transfer to AC Milan, the magazine reports. "George has really taken David under his wing since the transfer trouble started," they note.

The luxurious villa, which has played host to many of Clooney's superstar pals, is just half an hour away from the Beckhams' base in Milan. Clooney, 47, and Beckham, 33, became friends after being introduced by Giorgio Armani, (whose underwear ads the Beckhams star in), at the Met Ball in New York last May. Luxe Lake Como, where scenes from the last two James Bond movies were shot, has long been a favorite retreat for Italy's rich and famous and the international jetset. As we mentioned last month, the contents of late designer Gianni Versace's villa there are being auctioned off by Sotheby's in March.

Tags: Celebrity, David Beckham, DavidBeckham, George Clooney, GeorgeClooney, Gianni Versace, GianniVersace, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Italy, James Bond, JamesBond, Lake Como, LakeComo, Milan, Soccer, Victoria Beckham, VictoriaBeckham

Contents of Versace Villa Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art

On March 18 Sotheby's in London will auction off $3 million-plus worth of paintings, furniture and works of art from late designer Gianni Versace's amazing Villa Fontanelle on Lake Como, Italy, comprising some 550 lots. In 1977 Versace (in front of the house with his Irish Setters, above) purchased the Villa, which was built in 1776, and restored it to its former neoclassical glory. The Villa itself was sold to a Russian billionaire for $52 million last year, and the Versace family has now decided to deaccession the contents. The designer personally supervised every step of the renovation and carefully selected every item used in its furnishing and decoration, down to the spectacular mosaic floors and paneling.

Versace set out to create his own personal Arcadia at Villa Fontanelle, and spared no expense. It was said to be his favorite residence. Highlights from the sale include a pair of spectacular life-size casts of Antonio Canova's Pugilists in plaster, c.1800, which were displayed in Versace's own bedroom, estimated at about $30,000 - $60,000; an exceptional pair of Italian gilt and patinated bronze-mounted bookcases, originally commissioned by Princess Pauline Boghese for the Library at Palazzo Borghese in Rome, est. about $110,000 - $140,000; and a pair of stunning Sévres Coral-red-ground vases "Etrusques", circa 1795, est. about $11,000 - $17,000.

Among the paintings from Versace's collection on offer is the tempera on canvas Hercules at the Crossroads Between Vice and Virtue attributed to Pelagio Palagi in 1820, est. about $35,000 - $55,000, as well as a very good collection of paintings on glass, miniatures and a vast array of works of art depicting Roman emperors. "It is a great pleasure to orchestrate this one-off sale of such a maverick of style whose taste and influence is epitomized in his Villa Fontanelle collection," says Mario Tavella, Sotheby's European Deputy Chairman responsible for Single-Owner Collections. "This is the last opportunity to enter into Gianni's world and buy something from a collection that is representative of his legacy."

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Versace Villa Sale

Tags: Gianni Versace, GianniVersace, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, Italy, Lake Como, LakeComo, Neoclassical, Palazzo Borghese, PalazzoBorghese, Sevres, Sothebys, Versace, Villa Fontanelle, VillaFontanelle

Clooney Effect Hits Lake Maggiore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

For years, shots of George Clooney at play on the shores of Lake Como have sparked interest in the Italian vacation destination. Now the TImes Online reports that the Clooney effect has spread to nearby Lake Maggiore, which is the largest of the Italian lakes and is 20 minutes from Lake Como. Although Lake Como is the more prestigious address, villas there can be as much as 50 percent more, making Lake Maggiore seem like quite the deal for your Italian villa. Lake Maggiore has many beautiful homes, some built as summer houses by the French aristocracy.

Want in? For €1.5 million euros you can pick up a restored farmhouse with Lake Maggiore views. This home and other Lake Maggiore properties are listed through Knight Frank.

Source

Tags: george clooney, GeorgeClooney, italy, lake como, lake maggiore

The Classicist: The Private Luxury of Loro Piana

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style, The Classicist

If I had the means I could easily wear nothing but Loro Piana for the rest of my life. They make the most comfortable, classic, stylish and subtly luxurious clothes I've ever had the pleasure of putting on. World-famous for their cashmere, the 200-year-old Italian company, which began as a textile merchant, has also branched out into other areas (including accessories and women's clothing) in more recent years with equal success.

Loro Piana's motto has it that true luxury is "knowing, not showing," i.e. dressing for yourself, not to impress others. It's "an inner satisfaction that comes from an aesthetic, intellectual, tactile pleasure, stemming from tradition, research and genuine quality." What could be better than that?

Their latest innovation is called Baby Cashmere®. To make this fabric the company first had to spend several years convincing Mongolian and Chinese breeders to comb the fine underfleece of the Hyrcus goat kid when it is 3-12 months old. Each combing yields no more than 30 grams of the rare, precious and incredibly soft fibre. Baby Cashmere crops up in Loro Piana's luxe Fall/Winter 2008 collection, which is about to hit stores; as usual we want it all.

We love the knitted stretch cashmere Davenport jacket pictured here, which like a lot of their designs calls to mind a cross between Cary Grant and Steve McQueen. And also like many of their best designs it captures that ineffable quality of effortless elegance the Italians call sprezzatura. This is the kind of thing you wear for a drive to your villa on Lake Como in your Maserati Gran Turismo. Even better, merely putting on this jacket for a trip to the liquor store can make you feel like you're driving to your villa in a Maserati, which is the real test of its worth (The jacket retails for $3,995).

Gallery: Loro Piana Luxe

Maine cashmere cardigan and Baby Cashmere turtleneck.

Double face baby cashmere Vassar cape from Women's Fall/Winter '08.

Tags: Cary Grant, CaryGrant, Cashmere, Italy, Lake Como, LakeComo, Loro Piana, LoroPiana, Maserati, Mens clothing, MensClothing, Steve McQueen, SteveMcqueen

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The World's Most Luxurious Private Landscapes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Garden, Books

The lush oases pictured in Luxury Private Gardens, the newest title in teNeues' brilliant Luxury Books series, veer between the pleasantly inspirational and oppressively beautiful. In other words, while looking at it made us want to rush outside and start planting things, it also made us despair of ever creating anything one tenth as attractive as the private paradises portrayed between its covers. Much better, we feel, to simply sit back, mix a drink, read the damned book and let someone else do the digging, pruning, weeding and whatnot. But we digress.

Even the most lavish gardens in these pages displaying "the highest standards of horticultural excellence" are founded on simplicity, the book assures us: "Stripped down to their bare essentials, they are like a well-cut couturier's gown - nothing but an utterly simple response to the unadorned landscape or the naked human body they are designed to fit." The incredible Villa d'Este in Lake Como, Italy (where part of Casino Royale was filmed) pictured on the cover, with its elegant, elaborate parterres doesn't exactly scream simplicity to us, but we could stare at it all day. See the gallery for a luxe garden tour.

Gallery: Luxury Private Gardens

Villa Libellule, Terres Basses, St. Martin.

Villa d'Este, Gernobbio, Lake Como, Italy.

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Tags: Casino Royale, CasinoRoyale, Gardening, Gardens, Horticulture, Italy, Lake Como, LakeComo, Landscaping, teNeues, Villa dEste, VillaDeste

Villa Passalacqua

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Enjoy a taste of the Clooney life on Lake Como in Italy. Villa Passalacqua is a gorgeous villa located not far from Gorgeous George's home, Villa Oleandra. Villa Passalacqua is perched in upper Moltrasio and its property runs from high up in the village all the way down to the lake’s shore. The home was built in the 1700s and was designed by Felice Soave. This amazing estate has play host to many famous and infamous people including Napoleon Buonaparte, Vincenzo Bellini and Winston Churchill. The Villa Passalacqua has a pizzeria, luxury suites, billiards room, theater, This luxury villa on Lake Como is available for rent for 42,000 euros a week. If you don't need something quite so posh you can also rent the Villa Bellini for 11,025 euros during the summer months. More shots of this beautiful estate after the jump.

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Tags: george clooney, lake como, luxury villa, travel, vacation, villa for rent, villa passalacqua, VillaPassalacqua

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