Como
Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
Must-see attractions in Lake Como
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Lake Como
High above the terracotta rooftops of Varenna, the imposing Castello di Vezio offers magnificent views over Lake Como. The 13th-century building was once…
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Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte
Lake Como
Birdsong and the rush of a mountain stream accompany you as you make the pilgrimage to the Romanesque Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte (St Peter on the…
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Como
Como is flanked to the east and west by steep and thickly wooded hills (scarred in part by the spread of residential housing). Northeast along the…
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Lake Como
Piazza Garibaldi is roughly cobblestoned and it's plain from its time-warped nature that nothing much has changed here down the centuries. Many of the…
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Lake Como
The Cistercian Abbazia di Piona has a magnificent setting on a promontory stretching out into Lago di Como. There's evidence that a small chapel was built…
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Lake Como
Lago di Como's northernmost towns of Dongo, Gravedona and Sorico once formed the independent republic of the Tre Pievi (Three Parishes) and were a hotbed…
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Como
Hemmed in by houses these days and enclosing one side of what was once a medieval grain market, this Lombard Romanesque basilica dates back to the 7th…
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Como
About 500m south of Como’s city walls is this austere 11th-century Romanesque church, once the seat of a bishopric built on the orders of St Amantius of…
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Como
Far from being a flashy collection of silk scarves, this highly educational study of Como’s long-standing textile industry explains the full silk-making…
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Bellagio
The grounds of neoclassical Villa Melzi d’Eril are a highlight among Lake Como's (many) delightful places. The villa was built in 1808 for one of Napoleon…
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Como
A grand villa overlooking the lake, northwest of the centre, Villa Sucota was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has been home to various…
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Como
One of Como's most charming walks is the lakeside stroll west from Piazza Cavour. Passeggiata Lino Gelpi leads past the Monumento ai Caduti, a 1931…
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Como
This picturesque villa with extensive gardens is generally open only for special events (conferences, weddings and the like). The grounds, however, open…
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Bellagio
The lavish gardens of Villa Serbelloni cover much of the promontory on which Bellagio sits. The villa has been a magnet for Europe's great and good,…
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Como
Despite its inadequate labelling, Como’s art gallery has a sizeable collection with some rich pickings. Most interesting are the frescoes and sculpture…
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Villa Cipressi Botanical Gardens
Lake Como
The villa itself is a hotel, but the steeply terraced grounds are open to anyone willing to part with €6. The gardens bloom with cipressi (cypress trees),…
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Lake Como
Some 15km northeast of Lecco, the village of Barzio is important above all as the birthplace of Alessandro Manzoni. Nearby, Pasturo retains something of…
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Como
The photogenic lakeside Tempio Voltiano was built in 1927. This neoclassical temple is now a museum devoted to Como-born electric-battery inventor…
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Como
Set facing the lake, the grand creamy facade of neoclassical Villa Olmo is one of Como's biggest landmarks. The extravagant structure was built in 1728 in…
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Lake Como
Once an industrial centre, Bellano (5km north of Varenna) is a sleepy lakeside town with a singular sight: the Orrido, a powerful waterfall where the…
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Como
The polychromatic Broletto, or medieval town hall, sits right beside Como's towering duomo. Unusually, it butts right up against the cathedral and is very…
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Lake Como
Cycling fans might want to make this top of their Lago di Como list. Set in a village that's frequently featured in the Giro d'Italia race, this museum is…
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Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Lake Como
Much overlooked in all the excitement about Varenna's villas are the lovely 14th-century frescoes, somewhat damaged but nevertheless full of colour,…
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Lake Como
About 9km northeast of Lecco, at Ballabio Superiore, a turnoff west sees you ascend about 8km of switchbacks through wooded country to Piani dei Resinelli…
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Lake Como
One of the oldest churches on Lake Como, St Martin's dates from the 11th century, and its stolid brick bell tower makes a photogenic backdrop against the…
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Lake Como
At Villa Monastero elegant balustrades and statues sit amid exotic shrubs; spiky yucca trees frame lake and mountain views. The villa itself is a former…
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Santuario della Madonna del Ghisallo
Lake Como
This tiny 17th-century church is a major destination for cyclists, who long ago began leaving jerseys, bicycles, medals and other objects. The place's…
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Parco della Grigna Settentrionale
Lake Como
Spread around Grigne massif, this 5000-hectare park encompasses a mix of forests, pastures and rolling mountain peaks. There are some fine trails through…
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Como
This 1615 villa was the summerhouse of abbot Marco Gallio and is one of the oldest landmark villas in Como. Now owned by the provincial government, it is…
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Bellagio
Bellagio's most interesting Romanesque church is the Basilica di San Giacomo, built in the 12th century by master builders from Como.
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Como
This monument to Italy's WWI war dead is a classic example of fascist-era architecture and dates to 1931.
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Como
An 18th-century lakeside villa, now owned by the provincial government and closed to the public.
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