The Story of Villino Rubini
Villino Rubini takes its name from the lawyer Filippo Rubini, who designed and built the villa in 1892. An Art Nouveau villa in Brunate, above Lake Como, set within 16,000 square metres of ancient chestnut woodland.
A Villa Above the Lake
Built in 1892, Villino Rubini was designed in the Nordic chalet style, a blend of eclecticism and Art Nouveau, marking the transition from nineteenth-century romanticism to the floral Liberty style. Rubini was one of the enlightened and lively figures of the first leisure city being created in Brunate at the turn of the twentieth century. Wealthy families from Milan and the Po valley built Brunate in search of an oasis of tranquility and clean air, a refined holiday resort above Lake Como.
The Crespi Legacy
The Crespi family, who made their fortune in cotton and textiles, were co-owners of the Corriere della Sera, Italy's newspaper of record. The villa hosted the most influential writers, politicians, and thinkers of the early twentieth century. It was an open secret that decisions impacting the future of Italy were discussed in the villa's conservatory.
A Fresh Restoration
In recent years, the villa has undergone a careful restoration, preserving hand-painted ceilings, ornamental plasterwork, and original tile and wood flooring. Villino Rubini now welcomes guests as a boutique hospitality destination, continuing the tradition of gathering that began over a century ago.