Italy · Lake Como · Venue guide
A Wedding at Villa Erba, Lake Como
Villa Erba sits right on the water in Cernobbio, on the western shore of Lake Como, with a century-old park running down to the lake and the mountains rising on the other side. I filmed Cristina and Tristan’s wedding here in August 2023 – a classic, elegant Lake Como celebration – and here is what I learned about the villa, and what to know if you are planning your own wedding there.
- Where
- Cernobbio, western shore of Lake Como, next to Villa d’Este
- Built
- 1898–1901 for Luigi Erba and Anna Brivio
- Getting there
- About 45 minutes from Milan Malpensa, an hour from Linate
- Guests stay
- In Cernobbio and Como – there are no rooms at the villa
The villa and its story
The land by the lake was once a park beside a monastery. In 1882 it passed to Anna Brivio and Luigi Erba, brother of Carlo Erba, founder of the famous Milanese pharmaceutical company, and between 1898 and 1901 the architects Gian Battista Borsani and Angelo Savoldi built the villa you see today. Their daughter Carla married Duke Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone, and their son – the film director Luchino Visconti – spent the summers of his childhood here. Some of the rooms are still named after him.
Since 1986 the villa has belonged to a public consortium, and a modern exhibition and congress centre designed by Mario Bellini stands discreetly in the grounds. For a wedding, though, it is all about the historic villa: the frescoed halls with views of the lake, the terraces and the park of around ten hectares along the shore.
Ceremony, dinner and party
Villa Erba hosts weddings in every season. Ceremonies can be held outdoors in the park by the lake; aperitivo on the terraces and lawns as the evening light turns gold over the water; dinner either in the halls of the villa or outside. The villa works with a network of selected suppliers for catering, décor and entertainment, so most couples plan the day together with a Lake Como wedding planner.
It is a venue for a proper celebration – the official figures start at two hundred guests, which makes it one of the few places on the lake where a big wedding does not feel squeezed.
Getting there and where to stay
The villa is only a kilometre from the Lago di Como exit of the A9 motorway – about 45 minutes from Milan Malpensa and an hour from Linate. There are no rooms at the villa itself, so guests usually stay in Cernobbio, at the Villa d’Este next door or in Como, a few minutes away. Lake Como’s boats make it easy to fill the days around the wedding with trips to Bellagio and the villages of the central lake.
Filming at Villa Erba
Lake Como is all about the light on the water. I plan the portraits for the last hour before sunset, when the lake turns silver and the mountains glow, and I keep the drone for the moment the guests gather by the shore. The villa’s large halls are beautiful for speeches and dancing – there is room to film without ever being in the way.
For the legal side: in Italy a civil marriage is celebrated by the comune, either at the town hall or at a place the comune has officially designated, so ask your planner whether the legal ceremony can take place at the villa. More ideas for the lake are in my guide to weddings on Lake Como.
Planning your wedding at Villa Erba?
Tell me your date and place – I’ll let you know if I’m free.
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