Located south of the Alps in the Lombardy region, less than a couple of hours' drive north of Milan, Lake Como's biforked surface stretches over 146 square kilometers, and reaches over 400 meters in depth. It is a fascinating feature that, in 1946, earned the location its own Loch Ness Monster, the Lariosauro, or simply, "Larrie" — a mysterious creature said to inhabit its basin, named after a prehistoric fossil found near the Lario (the lake's ancient name).
Lush vegetation, myths and picturesque hilltop towns aside, what makes Lake Como renowned to anyone is the incessant flow of celebrities that flock here during the summer, or choose to make it their home, as well as its appearances in iconic films like Alfred Hitchcock's The Pleasure Garden, Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America, and Casino Royale, the 21st instalment of the James Bond saga. From Richard Branson to George Clooney, Donatella Versace, and Sylvester Stallone, many are the A-listers who have lived here, and even more the music artists who have stopped by, including Madonna, Beyoncé and her husband, American rapper Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, and Bruno Mars. And so, what better place to open the first-ever listening suite in the world than its most contemporary, sumptuous stay, Il Sereno, one of the best hotels in Italy for design flair?
