CastaDiva


CastaDiva is a 5 star luxury resort located in Blevio in the province of Como, Italy. The heart of the resort consists of the Roccabruna Villa, which was once the home of soprano Giuditta Pasta and where the composer Vincenzo Bellini wrote his two most famous works: La Sonnambula and Norma.
The resort is named after the most famous aria from Norma: Casta Diva.

History

Roccabruna Villa was built in the eighteenth century on the shores of Lake Como in the village of Blevio and was later restored by the opera singer Giuditta Pasta. The renovations were carried out between 1827 and 1829 by architect Philip Ferranti.
The house was a meeting place for many artists, composers and singers. A frequent visitor was Vincenzo Bellini who, aided by the lake landscape of Moltrasio and Blevio, gave life to his work "Norma", which was first performed by Giuditta Pasta. That opera featured the aria "Casta Diva", which became one of the most famous arias of the nineteenth century The chronicles report that in 1829 Gaetano Donizetti spent a month in the villa while composing the Opera "Anna Bolena".

Present day

In 2014 Top Gear Series 21 Episode 02 was filmed at the hotel.
The villa has been newly renovated and houses the CastaDiva Resort & Spa, which has 75 rooms, 2 restaurants, 4 conference rooms and a spa of.
The CastaDiva Resort & Spa has been acquired by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in 2018, and since its openening in spring 2019 the hotel has been renamed as "Mandarin Oriental, Lake Como".