Does Richard Branson really own Villa La Cassinella?

Does Richard Branson really own Villa La Cassinella?

For years there have been rumors here in the area  that Villa La Cassinella, one of the wonders of the lake, is owned by the famous British businessman Richard Branson. But is it true?
We have sailed past Villa La Cassinella many times and, each time, we have told ourselves that there is no more enchanting place in the world. If there is, please let us know! 
The beauty of the building is amazing, so simple and elegant. And also its ochre colors, with the graceful tiffany-colored shutters... The garden seems designed by a supreme hand, coming from above to paint with poetic precision the tips of the many cypresses that adorn the landscape.

You cannot leave Lake Como without sailing past such wonder!

Anyway, speaking of Richard Branson, there is a rumor about how the famous businessman accidentally discovered that he owned one of the most beautiful villas on Lake Como. Apparently, he was on vacation with his wife and was enjoying a boat ride on the waters of the lake. Apparently, the tour guide, not having recognized him, stopped the hull in the Gulf of Venus and pointed out the large villa to his passengers, telling them that it was owned by the magnate of Virgin Group. Branson, indeed!

For years, in fact, this news has been circulating on the lake, and, you know, when a rumor starts, it soon becomes reality.

Branson, with genuine British humor, would then tweet “I was just explained that I was George Clooney's neighbor, and my wife Joan was very sorry that unfortunately this was not the case.”

There are still numerous sites online that attribute the ownership of the Villa Cassinella to Branson, but the actual ownership is unknown. What we do know is that in 1926 a Texas heiress, Funny Hart, called the engineer Carlo Mantegazza to renovate a splendid property accessible only by boat or by an impassable path. This was the then Villa Rosa, an eclectic style building with medieval reminiscences.
Engineer Mantegazza's plan was to rebuild the entire existing building: the new parts of the villa were to be in close relationship with the morphology of the place. What then happened was that the villa became the property of the Mantegazza family itself and took the name Villa Cassinella.
In 1965, their son Giacomo Mantegazza worked on the rearrangement of the interior, adapting it to modern needs, but above all he devoted himself to the care of the garden.

How to visit Villa La Cassinella?

The best way to enjoy the beauty of Villa La Cassinella is to rely on a taxiboat or rent a boat.
Read HERE our recommendations.