Como
COMO INTRODUCTION
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Of the two branches to the south, the one to the west is called Lake Como, while the one to the east is called Lake Lecco, named after the two largest towns bordering it. Both are rich in history,...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
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The food that reigns at the table is polenta, made with water and corn flour, especially delicious in the version called polenta concia, seasoned with butter and sage.
Among first courses, the most...
COMO CATHEDRAL
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Here stood the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, of which there are records dating to before the year 1000. At the turn of the 15th century, under the rule of the Visconti family of Milan, it was...
BROLETTO
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You should know that the term 'broletto', in medieval times, was used in Lombardy to refer to the place where citizens' assemblies were held and, later, to the town hall. In fact, this building was...
TEATRO SOCIALE THEATER, COMO
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But let us reconstruct the various events that led to the realization of this work. You should know that on June 7th, 1764, a number of art- and culture-loving citizens of Como formed the...
VOLTA TEMPLE, COMO
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But who was Alessandro Volta? The inventor of the battery, of course, but not only that! You should know, in fact, that throughout his life, this great scientist made some of the most important...
COMO: VILLA OLMO
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You should know that this land was owned by the noble Odescalchi family as early as 1664, but construction of the villa did not begin until many years later, in 1782, when Marquis Innocenzo...
COMO: LINO GELPI PROMENADE
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I suggest you start from the side near the Idroscalo Internazionale waterfront and walk towards the picturesque Villa Olmo at the end of the route. Just imagine that Lino Gelpi had the courage to...
COMO: PORTA TORRE TOWER
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The first city walls date back to Roman times, built under the rule of Emperor Julius Caesar more than 2000 years ago, but were almost completely destroyed around 1127 at the end of the ten-year war...
BRUNATE
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To reach the village, I recommend using the historic funicular railway, which has been open to the public since 1894 and travels about one kilometer uphill. There is an altitude difference of 493...
PALAZZO BELGIOJOSO, LECCO
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The museum center also includes Villa Manzoni, Palazzo delle Paure and the ancient Torre Viscontea. Imagine, the latter is the only building forming part of the ancient medieval walls that survived...
LECCO: SAN NICOLO’ BELL TOWER
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Do you know what the people of Lecco call it? “Il Matitone!” (“The Big Pencil”). The reason is immediately obvious once you look at its silhouette against the mountain...
LECCO: VILLA MANZONI
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There is no Italian student who does not know the works of Alessandro Manzoni, in particular his historical novel I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed), the first written in Italian and the first...
LECCO: PONTE VECCHIO BRIDGE
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Its real name is Ponte Azzone Visconti, after the Lord of Milan who had it erected at this point to join the two banks of the Adda River, the only river flowing from Lake Como. You should know that...
LECCO: PALAZZO DELLE PAURE
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In fact, it has always been a public office building and its name is linked to a nickname given to it by the people of Lecco because taxes were paid here until 1964.
The current building is the...
BELLAGIO
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First of all, its strategic location was perfect in the past to control a large part of the lake, which, as you know, is shaped like an inverted Y. The promontory on which Bellagio stands,...
LENNO
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You should know that in 1787, Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini moved to Ossuccio where he had bought the Villa del Balbiano. The prelate loved the small inlet that Lenno overlooks so much, which he...
ISOLA COMACINA
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You should know that between 1118 and 1127, the Isola Comacina and the surrounding territories had sided with the city of Milan against Como in a ten-year war, won by the Milanese. It was not long...
TREMEZZO
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The construction of the mansion was commissioned by Giorgio II Clerici, an important politician, whose descendants sold it to Gian Battista Sommariva for financial reasons in 1801. Sommariva, who was...
CERNOBBIO
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Just imagine, in the area where we find the magnificent Villa Erba, with its elegant neoclassical façade, there was already a monastery in 996, which was suppressed in 1785. Converted into a...
VARENNA
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But one of the most characteristic elements of Varenna is the Castello di Vezio, which is surrounded by olive trees. It is not known with certainty when the castle was built, but according to legend...
BELLANO
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Behind the village rises Mount Muggio, featuring the ancient villages and alpine pastures that make up Val Muggiasca. The area’s name evokes the Italian word for the mooing of cows, and indeed,...
