The Bellagio Center at Villa Serbelloni at Lake Como

A look at The Bellagio Center at Villa Serbellino, a center operated by the Rockefeller Foundation in Bellagio, Italy on Lake Como. I had the honor of participating in a conference entitled Jane Jacobs Revisited led by Kate Ascher, author of The Works and The Heights, and Mary Rowe, Vice President of the Municipal Art Society of New York. The video, produced by Don Downey, recapping the conference is available here. Apart from the thought provoking conferences and residencies held at Bellagio, it can not be understated how beautiful the setting is.

As quoted in the book, Bellagio Center: The First 50 Years, Lowell Liebermann calls it “the single most beautiful place I have ever been to. But the beauty is only one part of its magic.” With a lofty view onto Lake Como, with the mountains rising peacefully out of the waters, The Bellagio Center’s winding paths take you from a small fishing village, to a historic grotto, up to the main villa and into the town.

The peaceful setting is conducive to the mission of the Bellagio Center, which aims “to promote innovation and identify impact-oriented solutions to critical global problems. The Center, through conferences and residency programs, supports the work of scholars, artists, thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners who share in the Foundation’s pioneering mission to “promote the well-being of humanity.” The Center has a record of major impact, from meetings that led to the Green Revolution and the Global AIDS vaccine initiative, to residencies that furthered the work of Glenn Ligon. This legacy, the serene work environment on the shore of Lake Como in northern Italy, the diverse groups of people, and the promise of future achievements make Bellagio an inspiring and productive forum for fostering positive change.”

Read more about the Jane Jacobs Revisited Conference held at The Bellagio Center.