Passalacqua is finally open for the 2024 season but they haven’t been idle over the winter break. Right now, the hotel is putting the finishing touches to their never-ending passion project – a secluded indoor pool, connected with the Spa through the property’s centuries-old underground secret passageways. To further improve the Spa experience, they have partnered with Seed to Skin Tuscany, a skincare line that is – like Passalacqua – a family passion project with a deep commitment to Italian excellence.
And… drum roll… they are proud to welcome their new cuoca di casa, Viviana Varese, to her new home. An amazing culinary talent, Viviana is not only recognized as one of Italy’s leading female chefs but has also won awards for her commitment to social and ethical causes. Passalacqua is looking forward to sharing Viviana’s new adventure with you, one that centers on the joyous revival of Lake Como’s great family chef tradition.
“Falling in love with Passalacqua was easy”, declared chef Viviana, adding “it’s a work of art, one that inspires creativity”. The hotel is thrilled that a celebrated chef whose love of cooking was born in her family’s trattoria in her native Salerno has chosen to write the latest chapter of her culinary saga here at Passalacqua. After 17 years in Milan, where her Michelin starred restaurant became one of the city’s hottest dining tickets, Viviana has opted to explore a new avenue that fascinates her: reviving the tradition of alta cucina di casa, that symbiotic relationship between private chef and illuminated patron-gourmet that developed over the centuries in Italy’s greatest houses. In a kitchen that will always be open to guests, Viviana will present dishes that unite past and future, in a place that, she declares, has already become her home.
When Passalacqua opened in 2022, the Spa found its home in the former stables of the Palazz, which were transformed into a soothing, regenerative space that encapsulates all the history and the deepest essence of this magical place. To reach the sanctum of the Spa is to travel back in time through a secret passageway, built in the late 18th century to connect with the lakeside wharf. Tucked away within these romantic tunnels is a hidden realm of relaxation, with sauna and steam bath. But now there is another ravishing new discovery to be made: Passalacqua’s new indoor pool, due to be inaugurated in April. A long basin paved in aqua-hued stones, the pool nestles into a former greenhouse that opens onto the green embrace of our Italian gardens, the ever-changing blues of sky and lake.
This intimate connection with nature is celebrated in Passalacqua’s new partnership with Seed to Skin Tuscany, an organic skincare brand that combines the powerful healing properties of natural medicine with the most advanced ‘Green Molecular Science’. They have long admired this family-run company’s commitment to the territory and meticulous oversight, who created a laboratory on their organic farm south of Siena. It’s this 360-degree connection with the territory, as well as the sheer quality of their regenerative skincare collection, that makes Seed to Skin Tuscany such a kindred spirit for all of them at Passalacqua.
