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Welcome to Como
From Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population: 83,016 (2004)
Official site:
Como
Wikipedia:
Como
Map:
MapQuest
Visit our Lake District Portal
A trip to Italy's Lake District will
always include a stop-over in Como
whether for a day or several. It
is the principal lakeside town -
actually a small city - the place that
gave its name to
Lago di Como.
Como is just 40 kilometers north of
Milan and it is a busy industrial center
whose principal industry is the making
of silks used by clothing manufacturers
in Milan and other fashion centers.
One goes to Como for the first time
looking for a lakeside escape and
arrives at the outskirts of the city
disappointed to find the industrial
sprawl and suburbs. But, take
heart, Como has many pleasant surprises
within its ancient walls, and it
is a useful gateway to other Lake
District towns where escape is not only
possible, but unavoidable!
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For more of Como's history
from pre-Roman times
Click here |
Virtually all of the things that one
wants to see are in the heart of Como's medieval
precincts. So, once you have
arrived, make for Piazza Cavour
which fronts the lake. It is the
perfect place to take in the beauty of
the city's stunning natural
surroundings, to catch a glimpse of some of
Como's main attractions and to orient
yourself for the rest of your stay.
Facing the facade is the Duomo -
the Cathedral - which posesses a 14th
century
Gothic
facade, but carries an 18th century
dome; it is, in fact, an eclectic
architectural work that features
important elements from nearly all major
historical periods. Next to
the cathedral is the Palazzo Broletto,
the town's municipal hall in pink and
grey striped stone,
featuring a long, protective arcade.
From Piazza Cavour, you can make your
way to Piazza San Fidele which boasts
its own architectural masterpiece, a
16th century basilica also dedicated to
San Fidele.
Above San Fidele, following via Cantů,
you will find one of the city's gates,
the Porta Vittoria and an
imposing fortified tower. There is
another tower higher up, the Baradello,
which you can reach by walking up the
hill behind the ancient and austere
Chiesa San Abbondio, whose cloisters
offer a place where you can rest your
weary legs, and which houses a few
beautiful paintings, some dating to the
11th century. Back down the hill is a
third, equally stunning basilica, San
Corpoforo, done in the
Romanesque style.
Walking (or if you must, driving) west
you can enjoy the promenade and marvel
at the array of colorful boats in Como's
lakeside harbour. Eventually you
will come to the domed, classically
designed Tempio Voltiano and its
grounds. The impressive temple
features marble columns and marble
mosaic floors, but no god is worshipped
here. It is dedicated to native
son,
Alessandro Volta who invented the
first reliable battery, and has given
his name to our word "volt". The
primitive battery apparatus he designed is on display in
the main hall.
A little further on is the luxurious
Villa dell Olmo, one of many
fabulous villas built by wealthy
aristocrats and commoners in years gone
by. The villa is surrounded by
formal gardens and what the tourist
brochures call a "wild park", but which
is, in fact, too well-groomed these days
to carry the designation. It was a
wild forest of elms, perhaps, when it
was mentioned by
Pliny the Younger when Como was a
bustling
Roman colony.
Back in Como, be sure to take
time to prowl the old medieval streets
of the city where you will find an
amazing variety of stores and shops,
cafes, restaurants, trattorias, hotels
and B&Bs. The products on sale in
the shops range from the corny to the
exquisite, and likewise the foods
that find their way to
local menus encompass good, but standard Italian
fare, but also the fabulous local
cuisine and many international
dishes.
The hotels and other places to stay in
and near Como cover a wide spectrum: from
lowly hostel to 4 star!
Above the city is the town of Brunate
where you will be enfolded by the alps,
and gain a breathtaking view of Como and
the lakes, and find, like it or lump it,
much cooler air. It is accessible
by road, but why not take the funicular
- the inclined railway - which is a lot
of fun, but which also provides
spectacular views of
the area that you can't get by any other
means. Hikers will enjoy the walk up
a foot path on
Monte Boletto behind Brunate,
where the prospects make for even
grander views.
If you want to make other excursions
from Como - the drive being as wonderful
as any destination - take a drive
to Cernobbio, an old village with
winding medieval streets and
picturesque houses. The town was
the location for the wonderful film comedy, "A Month by the Lake".
Close by, be prepared to encounter the
Villa D'Este, one of Europe's
most opulent hotels. Step inside
the lobby (or stay a night) and immerse
yourself in the luxuries of "la belle epoch".
Up
the road from Cernobbio is Toriggia,
where you will find another splendid
villa, the Villa Passalacqua,
where the composer
Vincenzo Bellini enjoyed staying in
his day. You will understand why when
you see it!
Further north as you get to
Bellagio,
you will catch a glimpse of Isola
Comacina, Lake Como's only island.
You can access it by ferry almost any
day of the year, but if you are in the
area in late June, make the crossing on
St. John's Day and join the mass
being held in the ruins of the ancient
basilica of San Eufemia, which is
followed by a procession of locals in
medieval costume, and later a colorful
display of fireworks.
Other lakeside
towns that should be on your "must see"
list include Tremezzo and
Varenna. You will enjoy the
lakeside promenade in Tremezzo where you
can see a few more luxury villas, or
stay in one of several that have been
converted into hotels. You can
also board a ferry to either
Varenna or Bellagio, the so called pearl
of the lake, or both.
Varenna
is considered by many to be the most
picturesque town on Lake Como.
You'll need good legs to tour this town,
which sits on a steep slope.
However, the winding streets lined with
pretty houses whose small balconies are
draped with flowers from spring through
late autumn, are worth exploring.
Downhill, along the water's edge, take
time to see Villa Cipressi whose
gardens cascade down to the lake, and
Villa Monastero, whose dreamy
elegance will impress you greatly.
Returning to
Como you will undoubtedly feel relaxed
and refreshed. Como, the Lake, the
nearby towns and villages posess a kind
of pleasant and appealing simplicity
that make for a romantic and refreshing
escape. It is a simplicity,
however, which is skin deep: the
underlying complexities of the town's
culture, the character of its history
and the magnificent ecologies of
its landscape peek through
everywhere...and subliminally enrich the
experience at every turn.
By Vian Andrews, October 9th, 2006 |
