Villa Oleandra in Laglio: the summer home of George Clooney on Como Lake
April 4, 2014The eighteenth-century Villa Oleandra in Laglio is the very well-known summer residence of George Clooney, who since 2002 has chosen this quiet village located on the western shore of Como Lake to spend his vacations, sometimes in the company of other Hollywood celebrities. Obviously, the presence of Clooney brought a little of hustle in Laglio, that suddenly has became a destination for an army of paparazzi, fans and the merely meddlers to the point that the City Council has approved an ad hoc regulation to protect the privacy of the actor. According to this regulation, it’s forbidden the transit in the immediate vicinity of the entrance of the villa (also by the lake). The order clearly does not apply to residents of Laglio.
The complex of Villa Oleandra is present in the cadastral maps of Laglio since 1720, although with different shapes than the current state. In 1834, the owners of the time, the Stoppani family, built a first unification of the building with the surrounding land, then completed in 1868 by the family Antongini. In 1877, the building, which corresponded to the last current plan, went to the family Vitali. In the meantime, the whole complex had been converted into a residence, as shown by a reproduction of 1848. During the twentieth century Villa Oleandra was sold to American owners, the last of which was the family of the billionaire John Heinz.
In the summer of 2001, the heirs of the "King of ketchup" provided aid for the lost George Clooney, jilted by his Harley-Davidson just outside the gates of the villa. The American actor, who was taking a ride on the mighty Alps aboard his motorcycle, fell in love at first sight of Villa Oleandra, especially because of the breathtaking view that you could see from its windows, and soon decided to buy it for about 10 million dollars. Since then, the door of the luxury building, located in Via Vecchia Regina 20 and surrounded by a large botanical garden, was crossed by numerous Hollywood celebrities, all guests of George Clooney, including Cindy Crawford, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas.
In 2004, the actor made famous by the television series "E.R." also became the owner of Villa Margherita, built in Art Nouveau style and located close to Villa Oleandra. The two properties communicate with each other through the bridge of Riva Soldino.
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