Cascina Rodiani is a 400-year-old Lombard cascina (farmstead) transformed into an award-winning green B&B perched on a sunny hill between Lakes Como and Lugano.

Set within the protected Spina Verde Park – a Natura 2000 site teeming with biodiversity – the stone house and its 1.5 ha of grounds provide an idyllic backdrop for sustainable living.

With just 5 guest rooms (including a family suite), this intimate retreat showcases low-tech sustainability at its best. A wood-chip biomass boiler and solar thermal panels provide heating and hot water, eliminating fossil fuels. Rainwater is harvested and stored to irrigate the organic gardens and feed a pond, while a phytoremediation system filters greywater through plant roots for reuse. The historic structures were renovated using only natural materials – lime plasters, untreated wood beams, and reclaimed terracotta – and all furnishings are either restored antiques or custom pieces made from recycled timber (no plastics here!).

Cascina Rodiani’s practices follow a circular economy ethos: they compost all kitchen waste on-site, use zero single-use plastics, and even the toiletries are locally made organic soaps in refillable dispensers.

Electric car charging is available (powered by the cascina’s own solar array), and guests arriving by train can request a pickup in an electric vehicle. Breakfast is homemade and vegetarian, featuring local seasonal fruits, the cascina’s own jams and honey, and bread fresh from a nearby organic bakery.

In warm months, guests dine under a pergola overlooking the fruit orchard, accompanied by the humming of bees and views of the Alps. At Cascina Rodiani, the luxury is in the details – from a wood-fired panoramic sauna by a natural swimming pond to the calm assurance that every aspect of your stay, from linen to lighting, has been thoughtfully crafted to preserve nature for future generations.