About comocompanion
I am an Englishman in Como, Northern Italy - definitely both a Euro and Italophile with an interest in modern history, walks in the hills and mountains, and food and wine. I favour 'slow' tourism alongside of 'slow' food.
Tourism on Lake Como – Then and Now. A look at current levels of tourism and its growth on Lake Como from Pliny, Stendhal to the Clooneys. Continue reading →
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, Lake, People, Uncategorized
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Tagged aristocrats, Art, environment, Giovio, Grand Tour, History, ISTAT, lombardy, Mary Shelley, nature, pliny, Shelley, sublime, tourism, tourists, Ugo Foscolo, villas, Volta
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Como’s Pope and other Odescalchi. Florence has the Medici, Mantua the Gonzagas, Milan has the Visconti who merged through marriage with the Sforzas. Como for its part has the Odescalchi, Raimondi, Lambertenghi etc etc. Continue reading →
Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
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Tagged Alzate Brianza, aristocrats, Castello, Como, heraldry, History, Innocent XI, Innocenzo XI, nobility, Odescalchi, Pope, property auction, religion, Rome, stemme
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Como’s Four Seasons – 4: Summer, Open House – when Como becomes Mediterranean and musical events abound. Continue reading →
Posted in Events, Gardens, Lake, Uncategorized
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Tagged Brunate, church, Como, concerts, Duomo, ferragosto, Food, Funicular, isola comacina, nature, Navigazione, villa d'este
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Palanzo in Mostra (Palanzo on Show) includes events and exhibitions from now to 29th
June which celebrate the town’s unique virtues. Palanzo and its neighbouring towns in Faggeto Lario are all undoubtedly very special. Continue reading →
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, Events, Itineraries, Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized
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Tagged Art, Faggeto Lario, Lake Como, Monte Palanzone, Palanzo, terracing, Torchio, wine press
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Exercising Outdoors – Various options for those of us who want to get out of the gym in June and enjoy Como’s natural splendour. Continue reading →
Posted in Events, Gardens, People, Sport, Uncategorized, Wellness
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Tagged Exercise, Gardens, Herbal Life, MammaFit, Nutrition, Parks, Pratiqiamo, Qi Gong, RowinFit, rowing, Sport, Tai Chi, Total Fit, Villa Olmo
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Swimability 2019: Lake Como’s Clean Water. Looking down into the clear waters of the lake on a warm summer’s day invokes the desire to jump in and swim! But can we be sure the water is safe for swimming? Continue reading →
Posted in Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized
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Tagged bacteria, bathing, beach, beaches, brienno, Careno, Como, e-coli, effluent, Enterococci, health, Lake, Lake Como, Moltrasio, pollution, swimming, Tremezzo, water quality, wild swimming
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Villa Platamone – An ‘Aristocratic’ Bed and Breakfast. The holiday lodge built in the 1820s for Michele Platamone in Como has now been restored to former glory and opened today for the first time to paying guests. Continue reading →
Posted in Architecture, Culture, Gardens, History, Uncategorized
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Tagged B&B, Bed and breakfast, Clerichetti, Como, Lugano, luxury, Villa, Villa Bignami, Villa Ciani, Villa Platamone
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Torno’s Santo Chiodo & Conflict with Como: This Sunday, May 5th sees the annual blessing and evening procession through the town of its ‘Santo Chiodo’ or sacred nail – no less than one of the nails used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Continue reading →
Posted in Culture, Events, Folklore, History, Places of interest, Uncategorized
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Tagged Como, crucifixion, Folklore, isola comacina, lake battles, Lamberto Rusca, Rusca, santo chiodo, Tornaschi, Torno, wool
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Carimate Castle has fallen upon hard times. It has been unoccupied and unmaintained since 2014. Now, long-time Carimate resident Tiina Hiekkaranta, also known locally as the (Finnish) Countess of Carimate, and her husband Timo want to save it Continue reading →
Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, Music, Places of interest, Uncategorized
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Tagged auction, Carimate, Castello, Castle, Hotels, Il Torchio, Lucio Dalla, Stone Castle Studios, Tony Casetta, Visconti
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Sarah Aller: Como’s New York Artist In Residence – an appreciation of her work ‘At their best, Sarah’s stories perform a function not dissimilar to the way our brains perform a subconscious ordering of experience through dreams.’ Continue reading →
Posted in Art, Culture, Events, People, Uncategorized
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Tagged AAF, Art, Como, contemporary, ex-pat, Eye Contemporary Art, Genoa, image transfer, Sarah Aller, stencil, Tablinum
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