Every May, something extraordinary happens on the shores of Lake Como. The grounds of Villa d’Este fall quiet in a different way. And then, slowly, they begin to arrive: Bugattis from the 1920s, Alfa Romeos from the 1930s, Ferraris that changed the course of automotive history, and rolling sculptures of chrome and coachwork that represent the highest expression of human craftsmanship in their era.
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is not a car show. It is a celebration of beauty, and of the belief that the finest things deserve to be preserved, honoured, and passed on.
For those who understand what it means to invest in enduring quality – in a home, a vehicle, or a way of life – the Concorso is one of the most compelling weekends on the European calendar.
Held annually at the Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, the Concorso d’Eleganza is one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings of historic automobiles and motorcycles. Dating back to 1929, the event draws collectors, connoisseurs, and automotive scholars from across the globe. In 2026, the event takes place over the weekend of 15–17 May.
What sets it apart from other concours events is its setting. The lakeside gardens of Villa d’Este provide a backdrop that few venues in the world can rival. There is a particular resonance between the architecture of a pre-war motor car and the faded grandeur of a 19th-century Italian villa – both are products of an era when beauty was considered inseparable from purpose.
The event unfolds across three distinct locations, each contributing something different to the overall experience.
Villa d’Este, Cernobbio is the anchor – iconic, grand, and the heart of the concours judging. The formal gardens provide the setting for the most significant automobiles in the competition.
Villa Erba hosts the broader automotive marketplace, where private sales, specialist dealers, and marque displays create a world of their own for those who wish to look beyond the competition cars.
Villa Grumello in Como rounds out the experience with additional programming that speaks to the region’s cultural depth, drawing the event into the town itself.
There is a particular kind of appreciation that draws people to the Concorso d’Eleganza. It is not merely a passion for automobiles – it is a deeper sensibility: an understanding that the finest things in life are made with care, over time, and are worth preserving.
The same values that draw a collector to a 1938 Alfa Romeo Touring Berlinetta are the values that draw the right buyer to a villa on Lake Como. Both are irreplaceable. Both reward patience. Both carry stories that cannot be manufactured or replicated.
We see the same sensibility in the clients we work with at Ultissimo. They are not purchasing a property in Lake Como for convenience. They are investing in a place of enduring beauty – a home that will form the backdrop to decades of memories, gatherings, and legacies. The Concorso weekend, in that sense, is not a distraction from the property conversation. It is part of it.
For many of our clients, the Concorso provides a natural anchor for a visit to the lake. Rather than making a journey solely for property viewings, they find it more enjoyable to arrive for the event and build a broader experience around it – combining mornings on the Villa d’Este lawns with afternoon viewings of properties in Bellagio, Varenna, or Tremezzo.
May is, in any case, one of the finest months to be on the lake. The heat of summer has not yet arrived, the gardens are in full bloom, and the pace of life still carries the unhurried quality that makes Como so compelling. The Concorso simply gives that visit a focus and a sense of occasion.
Attending the Concorso in May? Contact Ultissimo to arrange property viewings alongside your visit.
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