s i g n a t u r e

& style Exclusive Angelina Jolie What’s next, travel and family 10 FASHION MUSEUMS Around the world SAVILE ROW Bold new looks for men A Land Rich in Life in the Culture fast lane Baku, Azerbaijan Supercars and the Monaco Grand Prix

ISSN 1837-6002 1 7

9 7 7 1 8 3 7 6 0 0 0 0 8 LUXURY DESTINATIONS LIFESTYLE FOOD & WINE LIVING WELLBEING MICE $9.95 (Aust & NZ) GST inclusive destinationitaly

“Grand hotel is an exemplar of belle epoque grace, a sunny yellow palace trimmed with green hedges and Bright-orange awnings”

01 02

n early morning mist swirls atop Lake . From my table on the Sala Regina terrace of lady of the lake Grand Hotel Tremezzo, it seems Aas if this destination hasn’t changed since wealthy cardinals and Milanese nobles built their Palladian summer villas A muse for artists and a retreat for the aristocracy, on its shore. Each terraced garden glows has enchanted visitors since the Romans with late-season colour, tumbling into holidayed at its shore. Charmed by sunny days, the obscured waters of the lake. Italian hospitality and the lake’s jewelled tones, As I sip at my rich Italian coffee, however, the water undergoes a Cathy Wagstaff indulges in a taste of la dolce vita. metamorphosis. The mist vanishes, the surface gleams silver for a moment then 01 Lake Como’s jewelled tones settles into its bright hypnotic blue. Like 02 Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s façade so many before me, I fall under its spell and Water on Water pool 03 03 Belle Epoque interiors before I have even finished my espresso.

88 89 destinationitaly destinationitaly

04 The flower pool 05 Vista from a Rooftop Suite James Bond fans might recognise its travellers from across the world have from Milan’s other must-see attractions: 06 Narrow lanes of Bellagio vertical façade and terraced garden sought peace, sunshine and beauty the opera house of Teatro alla Scala, the 07 Terrace of Suite Greta from ‘Casino Royale’, but Villa del in this truly remarkable destination. It Gothic lacework of the Duomo cathedral 08 Ruy the water limo Balbianello’s original claim to fame is aesthetically perfect, where nature and the glass-roofed arcade of Galleria was as the summer home of Cardinal serves architecture and all serve the still, Vittorio Emanuele II. Durini, who converted a monastery into blue lake. his private abode for literary pursuits A sea of flowers in the late 17th century. The wood- Moments in Milan Resting gently on the water’s edge, 04 lined library houses more than 4000 Of course, a journey to Lake Como simply Travel file Grand Hotel Tremezzo is an exemplar tomes on subjects such as alpinism and isn’t done without a stop in fashion- Accommodation of Belle Epoque grace, a sunny yellow polar exploration, collected by former capital Milan. Polished designer displays www.grandhoteltremezzo.com/en palace trimmed with green hedges and owner (and intrepid adventurer) Guido line the streets, tempting shoppers. In my www.baglionihotels.com bright-orange awnings. For over 40 Monzino, while the music room is an two days I purchase an exquisite Prada Getting there Qantas (with Emirates codeshare) flies from years and three generations it has been exquisitely furnished ode to the arts. handbag and feast on a truffle-infused Australia to Milan (Malpensa) via Dubai owned by the same Milanese family and As we motor back across the lake in dinner at Tartufi &F riends, and wine www.qantas.com.au is today managed by CEO Valentina De the early evening – Bellagio and the and antipasti in the sleek garden of Bar Dining Santis, a woman who epitomises Italian beautiful villas in our wake, the sun Martini by Dolce & Gabbana. www.dolcegabbana.com/martini/ www.colombetta.it style as much as her hotel. She and her slowly fading over the Alps, a cool Staying at the Carlton Hotel Baglioni www.ristorantecarillonbellagio.com mother Elena have created sumptuous breeze in the air – it is easy to see why was the perfect choice, right near the Information rooms of rich pastel silks and red rugs, generations of Italians, Europeans and fashion district and walking distance www.italia.it/en deep lounges, grand marble baths, gilt-edged mirrors and high ornate ceilings – and all with floor to ceiling windows and balconies to embrace the 06 magnificent views. Elegant displays of flowers bring the hotel’s century-old park indoors; at breakfast, silver vases on each table brim with a spray of white chrysanthemums.

The hotel’s grounds are filled with 05 tall palms and trees, pink and purple bougainvillea and flowers of all colours. Scan here for a virtual tour of Grand Hotel Tremezzo on your mobile Then there is the Piscina dei Fiori – the device or go to www.signaturemagazine.com.au/grand-hotel-tremezzo flower pool – set amid trees, Riviera palms and tulips. Another pool – Water on the Water – dramatically juts out into Lake Como, a modernistic, crystal-clear triumph of engineering hovering over over the swelling violet mountains. Later painted houses are knitted together the glacial depths with a popular club in the evening we make our way to the above narrow dark lanes and steep bar, T Beach, complete with chic lido. nearby city of Como, where we dine in a cobblestoned stairways, a bustling relic Next door to the hotel, the grand 12th-century Romanesque church, now of the past. botanical gardens of are the elegant Ristorante La Colombetta, The local Ristorante Carillon serves 07 blooming, even now as the season is frequented by both Robert De Niro and delicious fare with lakeside views. I dine about to draw to a close. Sprawling George Clooney. This family-run classic is on cozze alla marinara (mussels in red seven hectares along the lake’s shore, home to simple, perfect dining – cockles, sauce), penne al salmone and scaloppine this 17th-century retreat represents scallops, sea bass, octopus, carpaccio – di vitello – perfect on a warm autumn the perfect balance of art and nature; and fine Italian wines. day with a crisp white wine. it is equally renowned for its vast seas For the journey back to Tremezzo, we of rhododendrons and azaleas as it is Bellagio bellissimo summon the hotel’s sleek water limo Ruy, for its intricate interiors and artistic Across from the Grand Hotel Tremezzo a 1961 Venetian Riva motor launch, but masterpieces. I wander through the lies the enchanting ancient town we don’t return straight away. Italian garden down to the water’s edge, of Bellagio, a former medieval fort Immaculate 19th-century villas hug breathing in the scent of the lemons, and erstwhile home of 18th-century every cliff and shore line as if they were oranges and limes of the citrus tunnels, Lombard aristocrats. We choose to take a natural part of the scenery, and I heavy on the afternoon breeze. the ferry across the lake, soaking up the cannot say I have seen Lake Como if I The evening begins with a Campari scenery and classic villas that sparkle haven’t explored the most extraordinary 08 aperitivo, watching the sun set slowly on the shore. Bellagio’s fading, rose- residence of all, Villa del Balbianello.

90 91