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"Dreamer's House" (Villa Sognatore) is a lakefront property located ten kilometers north of Menaggio outside of a small hamlet called San Vito on the northwest shore of Lake Como.
The house uniquely positions its guests directly on the lake in a natural setting and provides private access to the water, which is the best place to acquaint oneself with the beauty and tranquility that makes Lake Como so unforgettable.
The setting is a botanical paradise since the property is surrounded by beautiful, well-maintained, terracing gardens with mature specimen plants, palm trees and perennials. The property includes four stone patios at different heights, and two large terraces off the living room and main bedrooms on the lakeside of the house, all affording breathtaking views of Lake Como and the surrounding Alps and pre-Alps.
In 2008, a new scenic walkway on the lake passes near the property, giving the guest access to restaurants and the lakeside village of San Vito.
Inside the house, the top floor consists of a large room combining the living and dining rooms and a large eat-in kitchen with island, plus a new full bath with mosaic tiles and modern Italian design. In the living room, the wall facing the lake is only windows, with double doors opening to a large terrace with sweeping panoramas. There is a satellite TV system with news/movies/sports in English or Italian, as well as terrestrial TV with mostly Italian channels. A multi-region DVD player (plays codes 1-6) has been added.
The middle floor is composed of master and guest bedrooms, both with two single beds that can be combined to form a double-size bed. Each room features large picture windows with lake & mountain views and terrace access. There is a third small room with a small bed and baby crib (the house actually sleeps 7 + 1 baby). The full bath includes shower, bidet/toilet, and double vanity. Both bedrooms open onto a large middle terrace, where stairs lead down to the lawn and lakefront. Here there is a detached "mini casa" guest house with two single beds and half bath.
The mini casa opens onto a large stone patio two meters (6 ft.) from the lake, featuring a new teak outdoor furniture set. There are private stairs leading from the stone ledge into the lake (child soft safety fence is optional).
The property is entered by an electronic gate that leads down into a covered car port with one space reserved for the house (additional parking available on street above). From there stairs lead down through gardens to a stone patio with table and benches suitable for barbecuing with a magnificent view of lake, mountains, surrounding specimen plants and rock garden (parts of garden are owned by neighbors).
The properties on the left and right of the house are vacation houses NOT rented by their owners. Therefore, the owner kindly requests that common courtesy is observed when these neighbors are present. In addition, this is a no pet and no smoking (inside) environment. Children are welcome, and the house is baby-equipped with high chair, crib, tub, and linens.
Additional location information: by car (highly recommended - closest bus stop c. 300 meters), ten minutes from Menaggio (a fashionable main resort in the central lake area that is a hub for ferry, bus, speed and cruise boat connections), Villa Carlotta-Tremezzo 20 minutes, Varenna (Villa Cipressi) and Bellagio (Villa Melzi) 30 minutes via ferry, Colico 45 minutes, Como one hour, Lugano one hour, Milan city center one-and-one-half hours, Milan Malpensa/Linate airports one-and-one-half hours, Bergamo two hours, Saint Moritz two hours, Verona & Zurich three hours, Venice four hours, and Florence four hours.
Information on restaurants (two within walking distance), shopping, hiking trails, and public villas available on request from the owner, who frequently visits the area.
Detail on the unique position of the house: the house is at the bottom of a sloping hill leading into the lake, and therefore is separated a good distance from the nearest road above both by height and length because the 200 sq. meters of gardens and terraces stand between the back of the house and the road (many lakefront houses are built up too close to the road and have to suffer endless road noise and lights; other "lakefront" properties either have access to the lake through a public beach in front or have no lake access at all!). A set of well-maintained stone stairs with railing winds through the gardens and terraces to the house approx. 25 meters (100 ft) below the road.
The front of the house on the lake provides complete serenity, including stone patios and a lush grass yard, since it is separated further from the mainland by the building superstructure itself. The view across the lake is 2.5 km of open space, giving one a complete 180+ degree view of the lake, pre-Alps, small Alpine and lakeside villages on the opposite shore (Corenno Plinio, Dervio, Dorio etc), and - further in the distance - the towering Italian/Swiss Bernina Alps. Please see photos on linked website for more detail.
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