Unlike the great private residences that have made Torno famous around the world, Villa Zita belongs to the community: it is the village’s municipal villa, open to anyone who wishes to visit.
Reached by climbing the narrow lanes and half-hidden passageways that rise from Torno’s little harbour towards the hillside, Villa Zita today houses the Pro Loco information centre and is surrounded by a public park that invites a stop: fountains, small chapels and several panoramic points offer glimpses of the village, the lake and the surrounding mountains, in a pleasant contrast with the more exclusive atmosphere of the village’s private villas, foremost among them the famous Villa Pliniana.
Precisely because of its public role, Villa Zita is an ideal starting point for anyone visiting Torno for the first time: here you can find maps and information on the routes to the hamlets of Piazzaga and Montepiatto, on the Pietra Pendula and on the ancient “avelli” carved into erratic boulders, before going on to discover a village that combines legends, history and spectacular scenery over the lake’s first basin.