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Recent Posts
- Escaping the Holocaust- Via Switzerland? January 30, 2026
- Como’s Sepulchral Art – The City of the Dead January 15, 2026
- Federico Frigerio: The Face of Como October 14, 2025
- Como’s Twin-Tailed Mermaids June 23, 2025
- Beyond the City Walls: Via Milano May 21, 2025
Author Archives: comocompanion
Escaping the Holocaust- Via Switzerland?
Once the Nazis had occupied Northern and Central Italy from September 8th 1943, escape across the border to Switzerland was the only option for many Jews seeking safety. But the Swiss had issued an anti-semitic decree back on August 13, 1942 that closed their borders to most Jews Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, People, History
Tagged Como, Politics, Mendrisio, holocaust, jews, second world war, History, Chiasso, Shoah, Switzerland, Asylum, Erwin Naef, Voetterl
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Como’s Sepulchral Art – The City of the Dead
Como’s Monumental Cemetery, the city of the dead, reflects the city of the living – particularly of its art and architecture. As such, it is well worth a visit since no other location brings together in one defined space the city’s disparate artistic traditions and architectural styles from over the last two centuries. Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged Agliati, aldo galli, Art, cemetery, Culture, Eli Riva, Enrico Rusconi, Frigerio, Giuliano Collina, History, Marchini, Odescalchi, religious art, Religious symbols, sacred art, sculpture, Somaini, Tavani, Terragni, tourism, travel
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Federico Frigerio: The Face of Como
There is one architect in particular we should credit for influencing the way Como looks today. He is Federico Frigerio (1873-1959). He worked incessantly from 1897 until 1945 producing or renovating many of the most significant buildings in the city’s historical centre. Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, Itineraries, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged europe, italy, travel
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Como’s Twin-Tailed Mermaids
The Melusina – a twin-tailed mermaid – can be seen in a variety of locations around Como. We explore the myth of the Melusina and why her symbol adorns both religious and secular buildings in the city. Continue reading
Garibaldi, the Battle of San Fermo and his Como Bride
Garibaldi’s second marriage, ten years after the death of his beloved Anita, lasted just one day – and provoked a scandal that divided Como’s aristocratic families. This is the story of the fate of Giuseppina Raimondi. Continue reading
Posted in Events, History, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged Birago, Cacciatori delle Alpi, Caroli, Garibaldi, Giuseppina, Raimondi, Risorgimento, romance, Rovelli, san fermo, villas
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Lake Como and the Grand Tour
The launch of the Romantic movement at the start of the nineteenth century caused many literary and artistic travellers to include Como and its lake in their Grand Tour of Italy. A collection of excerpts from these accounts has recently been published and forms the inspiration for this article. Continue reading
Moltrasio’s stone and its ‘Ecomuseo’
Moltrasio stone was the dominant building material used in and around Como from Roman days until the turn of the twentieth century. It is found at the heart of most buildings even if some may have then be adorned with a veneer of render or a dressing of Musso and Varenna marble. Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, Lake, Places of interest, Sustainability, Walks
Tagged Careno, country crafts, dry stone walls, ecomuseo, marble, Moltrasio, proloco, Quarries, stone, Sustainability, tourism
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Escaping the Holocaust: Hiding from Home in Varese
Personal testimonies can help us understand the reality of living through historical events. These diary extracts convey some sense of the constant anxiety in avoiding deportation to a Nazi death camp. Continue reading
Posted in crime, History, People, Uncategorized
Tagged Auschwitz, cernobbio, Como, De Danonis, Fargion, germany, History, holocaust, Italian Jews, jews, nazifascists, Race Laws, Shoah, Varese, Wartime
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The Como Companion 