Originally the summer residence of a family of dukes (the Serbellonis), Villa Sola Cabiati is as wildly over the top as you might expect of an aristocratic playground flanking the shores of Lake Como. Huge ornate black and gold wrought-iron entrance gates open to reveal a smiling housekeeper who leads us down a gravel drive past landscaped gardens. A top-of-the-range sound system hidden within stuccoed walls plays classical music as we step, open-mouthed, into a living piece of Italian history.
The palace sleeps 12 guests, with six magnificent suites, each a treasure trove of antique furnishings and original Renaissance art. There’s even a private museum floor housing a bed slept in by Napoleon and his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, who were friends of the Serbelloni family. Serbelloni
