The jewel–like lakes of northern Italy—Orta, Maggiore, Como, and Garda—have drawn visitors for thousands of years, and their beauty has been the inspiration for countless artists, musicians, writers, and poets. While visitors still flock to experience the magic of the lakes, there are those who have chosen to sink deeper roots, building dreamlike villas along the water’s edge. In 200 color photographs, Villas on the Lakes beautifully reveals some of the most remarkable of these. From crenellated castles to artists’ abodes, the reader will explore private homes dating from the late Renaissance to the 20th century. A splendid book for travelers, Italophiles, and anyone with a love of architecture and interior design. Elizabeth Helman Minchilli, an American now living in Italy, previously collaborated with photographer Simon McBride in Private Rome, Private Tuscany, and Restoring a Home in Italy.
Elizabeth Helman Minchilli is the author of six books on the joys of Italian life. Her latest book is Italian Rustic, to be released by Artisan in November 2009. She is the author of Restoring a Home in Italy, now in it's third printing. Minchilli's passion for Italy led her from her native United States, where she studied architectural history, to Italy in 1987. She writes on architecture, design, food and travel for a variety of publications.
Assisting her on her latest book, Italian Rustic, is her husband, Domenico Minchilli, an architect who restores and builds homes in Italy and around the world.
