Taking the local bus through narrow village streets to the town of Lenno after all our ferry trips we saw the quaint old houses at very close quarters. Unfortunately my tummy bug returned so I just watched as the others had a hearty home cooked lunch at a local hotel. Next came the long climb over the mountain occupying the approach to the peninsular occupied by Villa Balbionello. Graham helped pull me gently up the steep path through the forest where we were just in time for a tour by an excellent guide. We were told the peninsular had been home to Franciscan friars until it was bought by a cardinal in the late 18th century in order to build a summer residence in which he could indulge his literary interests.
In the 1970s it was bought by a fabulously wealthy Milanese business man Guido Monzino who was a prominent explorer and inveterate collector of artefacts from all over the world. He restored and extended the villa (where necessary by just digging further down into the rock!) to create a private museum to house his priceless collections in his home. He also kept records of all his travels including to the North Pole, and the conquest of Everest in 1973. When he died in 1988 he bequeathed the Villa and all of its contents, land and gardens to FAI (a non profit foundation for the preservation of Italy's heritage). He also provided a trust fund to cover all maintenance costs.
