The De Santis family, accomplished hoteliers on Lake Como, has opened Casabianca, a new hotel and art hub in a 1930 villa designed by Piero Ponci. The property features three apartment-style suites launching later this year, while its lower floors are already open to the public for €15, displaying around 50 works from the family's collection of post-war Italian art, including pieces by Arte Povera artists such as Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, and Jannis Kounellis. The venture is the latest in a series of heritage hotel restorations by the family, who previously revived the Grand Hotel Tremezzo and Passalacqua.
Casabianca matters because it exemplifies a growing trend of private collectors opening their homes to the public, blending hospitality with intimate art experiences. The De Santis family's deep personal connections to the artists—many of whom were friends—and their focus on domestic settings where art can be admired in peace offer a model for how art collections can be shared beyond traditional museum spaces. The project also highlights the cultural and economic vitality of Lake Como as a destination for art and design tourism.