Real Estate genius and the mind behind some of Palm Beach’s best real estate Robert V Matthews shares some of his inspiration.
“it is a buyers market now, if you ever wanted to acquire something special real estate wise the timing has never been better” says Robert V Matthews.
Today he takes us for a walk through the magic of Lake Como.
Lake Como, in Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, is an upscale resort area known for its dramatic scenery, set against the foothills of the Alps. The lake is shaped like an upside-down Y, with three slender branches that meet at the resort town of Bellagio. At the bottom of the southwest branch lies the city of Como, home to Renaissance architecture and a funicular that travels up to the mountain town of Brunate.
Area: 146 km²
Surface elevation: 198 m
Max. depth: 425 m (1,394 ft)
Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times, and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. It has many villas and palaces such as Villa Olmo, Villa Serbelloni, and Villa Carlotta. Many famous people have had and have homes on the shores of Lake Como.
One of its particularity is its characteristic “Y” shape, which forms the so-called “Larian Triangle“, with the little town of Canzo as its capital.
Villa Olmo
Villa Olmo is a neoclassical villa located in the city of Como, northern Italy.
The villa was commissioned by marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi from Swiss architect Simone Cantoni in 1797. As it was designed to be a summer retreat for the aristocracy, it was built alongside the lake. The villa was named after an elm tree planted in the middle of the ornate gardens, which is no longer alive today.
It was acquired in 1924 by the municipality of Como and today is open to the public only during exhibitions, while the lakeside gardens are freely accessible during the daytime.


Villa Serbelloni
The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni is one of the most prestigious historic hotels in the area, and the only 5-star luxury hotel in Bellagio, the best-loved village around Lake Como. From April to November, its lounges and large gardens enable guests to enjoy a holiday like the aristocrats of times gone by: far from the crowd, surrounded by every comfort imaginable and looking out over one of the most beautiful views in the world.


Robert Matthews is the chairman of Matthews Ventures Holdings, LLC (MVH). MVH is a diversified holding company with interests in real estate, hotels, software.