A unique dock with direct connection to the Villa, an Italian garden with precious plants, suites with bathrooms and a wonderful swimming pool with lake view. We could continue with the description of a great jewel of Lake Como, Villa Passalacqua di Moltrasio, awarded to auction in these last hours.
The Villa has been sold to the lariano entrepreneur Paolo De Santis, former councilor of Como and former president of the Camera di Commercio of Como. In fact, the entrepreneur has beaten the competition of six foreign suitors who competed for the purchase of this wonderful jewel on Lake Como. “A property to be kept with passion”, said De Santis.
Villa Passalacqua thereafter changes ownership, and remains patrimony of Como. Before the auction, which was held yesterday at the prestigious residence in Moltrasio, many were ready to bet that the Villa would be bought by foreigners. Surprisingly, Paolo De Santis decided to purchase this charming Villa designed by Odescalchi, supported by a entrepreneurial project driven by attachment to the territory.
During the auction, after several raises on the basic price of 20 million euros, De Santis, accompanied by his daughter Valentina and the entrepreneur Francesco Ugoni of Bene Habitare luxury real estate, managed to win of the prestigious property. “After the auction, the emotion was visible among those present” comments Ugoni, who has supported De Santis in this record-breaking real estate operation for Lake Como.
Great job then for the real estate agency Bene Habitare!!
Great emotion also for the new owner “Me and my family are very happy that Villa Passalacqua, with its heritage of history, can remain “in the hands of the Como peolple”, and Como are really grateful to Jim Cantwell and his wife who have kept it with love for twenty years “.
“It’s early to talk about the destination of the Villa, everything happened in a short time – adds the new owner of Villa Passalacqua – Only a month ago I learned about the auction by Mr. Ugoni, but when we visited the mansion we were so impressed that the belief has grown that it was a precious asset to be preserved with love, passion and commitment “.
Villa Passalacqua was on the real estate market for some years now, as our real estate agency Bene Habitare documents. Among the possible buyers also Silvio Berlusconi who, with his ex-wife Veronica Lario, had visited the Villa together with Francesco Ugoni. Even the former premier was pleasantly fascinated by the beauty of this historic home, where he would like to open the European University of free thought.
“But the purchase was not successful – Francesco Ugoni adds – now I’m really satisfied that the deal ended with a successful man of Como that, as an art lover, has understood the true value of this prestigious residence on Lake Como”.
Once it was a monastery, then the villa was ceded to Count Andrea Passalacqua, who in 1787 expanded it to a design by Felice Soave. The palace, arranged on three floors, with elaborately worked bronze doors, hosted various famous people, including the poet Carlo Porta, who painted numerous frescoes inside, and Vincenzo Bellini, who between 1829 and 1833 was a frequent guest of the Passalacqua accounts.
After a long neglect, the villa was restored in the ’70s by Oscar Kiss Maerth, then purchased by Mr. Jim Cantwell.
