Author Archives: comocompanion

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.

Como and Cernobbio Say Goodbye to Nonna Pupa

Posted on November 27, 2019 by comocompanion

Cernobbio’s Giardino della Valle (Valley Garden) is a singularly beautiful oasis of calm, straddling a mountain stream as it descends to the lake. It exists thanks entirely to the vision and tenacity of Nonna Pupa who died aged 95 on Wednesday November 20th. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Gardens, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged Antica Strada Regina, bureaucracy, cernobbio, Culture, ecology, environment, gardening, Il Giardino della Valle, Music, nature, Nonna Pupa, public spirit, volunteering | 1 Comment

Lake Como’s Moltrasio Trunk Murder

Posted on November 7, 2019 by comocompanion

Lake Como’s Moltrasio Trunk Murder – a vintage crime of passion during a honeymoon that turned sour. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged crime, History, Ispolatov, Mary Scott Castle, Metropole Suisse, Moltrasio, murder, Porter Charlton, Steamships, Transatlantic, Trunk Murder | 1 Comment

Dining Out in and Around Como: Genuine Food

Posted on November 1, 2019 by comocompanion

Dining Out in and Around Como: Genuine Food. Describing a meal as ‘genuine’ sound pretentious and so further explanation is required as to what this is and where you can find it here. That is far from easy but here goes! Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Food, Restaurants, Uncategorized | Tagged Antica Trattoria, Argegno, Castagne, Cheese, Como, cuisine, Er Piu, Food, funghi, La Barchetta, mercato coperto, Momi, nature, Nutrition, Polenta, quality, rassegna gastronomica, slow food, tremezzina, Valle Intelvi | 2 Comments

Strada Regia: From Nesso to Lezzeno

Posted on October 25, 2019 by comocompanion

Strada Regia: From Nesso to Lezzeno. This walk represents the final stage in the Strada Regia’s route from Como to Bellagio and can be divided into four sections according to different terrains. Continue reading →

Posted in Itineraries, Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged chestnuts, La Morena, Lezzeno, nature, Nesso, Orrido, Ponte Civera, Strada Regia, terracing, Walks, woods | 1 Comment

Fairy Tales, Wanderlust and Landing in Como

Posted on October 21, 2019 by comocompanion

Fairy Tales, Wanderlust and Landing in Como. An intro to the creative world of Sonja Christoph. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Art, Christoph, expats, fairy doors, fairy tales, illustration, Kevin Fehling, MS Europa, sonja, The Globe, The Table, wanderlust | 1 Comment

Campo Urbano – Public Art in Como 1969

Posted on October 14, 2019 by comocompanion

Campo Urbano – Public Art in Como 1969. How the generation of Como artists following on from the Astrattisti Comaschi continued to place Como in the vanguard of artistic developments. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, Events, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged abstractism, agitprop, Art, Campo Urbano, Casa Bini, Cinque Giornate, Francesco Somaini, Giuliano Collina, Ico Parisi, MAC, mario radice, Movimento Arte Concreta, public art, sculpture, Street art, Ugo La Pietra | Leave a comment

Como’s Secret Gardens

Posted on August 23, 2019 by comocompanion

Como’s Secret Gardens. On 21st and 22nd September, those in Como can, for the price of €8, visit a whole series of secret gardens and courtyards within the old city walls. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, Events, Gardens, Itineraries, Places of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged Alessandro Volta, Carlo Carloni, Collegio Gallio, Conservatorio, ester negretti, Frescoes, Gardens, iubilantes, mantero, Palazzo Lambertenghi, Recchi, Via Volta | Leave a comment

Argegno to Argegno: Up and Down the Telo Valley

Posted on August 15, 2019 by comocompanion

Argegno to Argegno: Up and Down the Telo Valley – an excursion up the Telo Valley offers opportunities to appreciate both art and nature while passing through the medieval centres of a variety of mountain villages. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Folklore, Food, Itineraries, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Argegno, Art, baroque, Cerano, circular walks, Dizzasco, Intelvi, mills, Muronico, nature, San Zeno, Schignano, Telo, Walks | Leave a comment

Stucco and Scagliola – Two of Como’s Baroque Specialities

Posted on August 9, 2019 by comocompanion

Back at the start of the 17th Century, a new technique was developed in Northern Italy to create fake marble marquetry. This was called scagliola. It was a complimentary extension of the skills of the stucco masters – and the artists and craftsmen from the Province of Como’s Val D’Intelvi excelled in its execution, working on palaces and churches across Italy and Mid or eastern Catholic Europe. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged Art, baroque, Carloni, Castiglione, churches, counterreformation, Intelvi Valley, Lanzo, paliotto, rococo, S.Sisinnio, Santa Anna, scagliola, Scaria, stucco, val d'intelvi | 1 Comment

Tourism on Lake Como – Then and Now

Posted on July 16, 2019 by comocompanion

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 →