Lake Como hosts Orticolario from 1 to 4 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 07:59 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lake Como hosts Orticolario from 1 October 2026, with the sixteenth edition running at Villa Erba in Cernobbio until 4 October 2026. The event brings garden design, rare plants and contemporary art together beside the lake in Como, Italy.
Orticolario fills Villa Erba from 1 to 4 October
Orticolario / en rêverie is taking place from 1 to 4 October 2026 at Villa Erba, the historic park and exhibition centre in Cernobbio. The organiser has built the edition around fantastic plants, with rare and unusual species forming the main botanical theme.
The programme includes more than 250 Italian and international exhibitors, seven thematic gardens selected through the Creative Spaces competition and seven site-specific installations. Meetings, performances, workshops and activities for children and young people add a cultural programme to the displays. Orticolario dates and venue are listed by the organiser.
The central pavilion contains Hypnos, a project by Mario Mariani, Central Park and Matteo Boccardo. Phantasos creates a dedicated area for botanical rarities, while Les imaginaires in the atrium of Villa Erba links the natural theme with the work of artist Lau Cabantous and ethnobotanist Lucia Papponi.
Villa Erba gives the garden event its lakeside setting
Villa Erba is an nineteenth-century residence and exhibition venue in Cernobbio, directly beside Lake Como. Its historic park is the setting for the gardens, installations and outdoor displays, while the exhibition centre and villa provide indoor spaces for meetings and cultural activities.
The setting shapes the programme in a specific way: visitors encounter botanical projects in a historic lakeside park rather than in a standalone exhibition hall. The event also places its main pavilion, the home of Hypnos, at the centre of the cultural programme, linking the building's exhibition spaces with the garden route. Villa Erba programme details identify the venue, the exhibitors and the principal installations.
Luigi Serafini is the guest of honour for the 2026 edition. The artist, architect and author of Codex Seraphinianus is presented alongside a programme that includes landscape architects, agronomists, writers and artists. The combination places botanical collecting, garden design and visual culture within the same visit.
Visiting Lake Como: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Orticolario takes place from 1 to 4 October 2026 at Villa Erba, Largo Luchino Visconti 4, Cernobbio.
- The public event occupies the historic park and exhibition centre, with gardens, installations, exhibitors, talks, performances and workshops listed for the four-day programme.
- On 3 and 4 October 2026, a shuttle boat runs from Como to the Villa Erba pier, providing a lake route to the venue.
- Visitors should expect an outdoor park route combined with indoor exhibition spaces; the programme also includes botanical displays, site-specific works and activities for younger visitors.
- Villa Erba stands in Cernobbio, on the Como side of the lake, and the event venue is separate from the town centre of Como.
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Frequently asked questions about Lake Como
When does Orticolario take place at Lake Como?
Orticolario runs from 1 to 4 October 2026 at Villa Erba in Cernobbio, beside Lake Como.
What can visitors see at Lake Como during Orticolario?
The programme includes rare plants, seven thematic gardens, seven site-specific installations, exhibitors, meetings, performances and workshops.
Where is Lake Como and how do you get to Villa Erba?
Villa Erba is in Cernobbio near Como. On 3 and 4 October 2026, a shuttle boat runs from Como to the Villa Erba pier.
