The villa was built towards the end of the eighteenth century by the will of the Odescalchi family , after having purchased various lands that included an ancient monastery of the order of the Humiliati and the medieval church of Sant'Agata of the 

The original building dates to 17th-18th centuries, although the remains of a tower point to earlier construction. The property belonged to the Odescalchi family of Como since 1600. The Odescalchi family's most prominent member was Pope Innocent XI in the late 17th century, who frequented this site.

Sam and companions traveled by steamer from Bellagio to Leco (Lecco), departing Leco by carriage for Bergamo at 1 pm July 20, 1867.

Bædeker Northern Italy (1877) Route 22 page 144

Sam and companions traveled by steamer from Como to Bellagio July 18, 1867.

Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, contains the Grotto of the Annunciation.

I only meant to write about the churches, but I keep wandering from the subject. I could say that the Church of the Annunciation is a wilderness of beautiful columns, of statues, gilded moldings, and pictures almost countless, but that would give no one an entirely perfect idea of the thing, and so where is the use? One family built the whole edifice, and have got money left. There is where the mystery lies. We had an idea at first that only a mint could have survived the expense.