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Recent Posts
- The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como April 15, 2021
- Hollywood, Gucci and Lake Como March 16, 2021
- Two Local Poets for International Women’s Day March 10, 2021
- Carate Urio to Moltrasio via Rifugio Bugone February 20, 2021
- Cleaning Up Como’s Tax Office February 16, 2021
Categories
Category Archives: History
The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como
The Romantic Era of Smuggling: A Game of Cat and Mouse on Lake Como. Smuggling was common along the entire length of Italy’s northern border but particularly prevalent around the lakes so much as to become a key element in local folklore. Continue reading
Posted in crime, Culture, Folklore, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Uncategorized, Walks
Tagged Burlanda, Cigarettes, Cinto, coffee, Colonno, contraband, contrabbandieri, Davide Van De Sfroos, Domenica del Corriere, Erbonne, finanzieri, guardia di finanza, Il Cimino, Lanzo, Lezzeno, Ment, smugglers, Smuggling, spalloni, Switzerland, val d'intelvi
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Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino
Escape to Switzerland via Monte Bisbino – the story of Anna Sacerdoti and her family and how they avoided deportation – to honour this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Continue reading
Posted in crime, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged Anna Sacerdoti, Bisbino, cernobbio, Chiasso, Christian Schiefer, holocaust, Leggi Razziali, Platform 21, Shoah, smugglers
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Como’s Pantero Pantera and other Admirable Admirals
Como’s Pantero Pantera and other Admirable Admirals. With one of Como’s historical naval commanders called Pantero Pantera and the other Pliny the Elder the attraction of an alliterative title to this article was irresistible. Continue reading
Posted in History, Lake, People, Uncategorized
Tagged blevio, Classis Comensis, Colico, Forts, galleazza, galleys, lapento, marine school, Miseno, naval warfare, pantero pantera, papal navy, pliny, roman navy, Vesuvius
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Como’s Lost ‘La Ruota’ Wheel
Como’s Lost Wheel – the ‘la Ruota’ studio of Ico and Luisa Parisi which conquered the world with its iconic furniture designs for companies like MIM and Cassina. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, History, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged alberto sartoris, astrattisti comaschi, Cassina, design, Egg Chair, furniture, Gio Ponti, Poltrona Uova, Terragni, Via Diaz
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Como’s Train Station, Witches and the Inquisition
Como’s Train Station, Witches and the Inquisition. Few travellers arriving at Como’s San Giovanni Station know they are on top of the remains of a monastery where innocent victims faced torture and being burnt at the stake. Continue reading
Posted in Art, crime, Culture, Folklore, History, Uncategorized
Tagged Art, churches, Folklore, Giubiana, Grissons, Inquisition, Odescalchi, religion, San Giovanni, Valtellina, witchcraft, witches
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Como’s Star-Crossed Lovers: 2 – ‘Gianna’ and ‘Neri’
Como’s Star-Crossed Lovers: 2 – ‘Gianna’ and ‘Neri’ On 6th January 1945 two lovers were arrested by fascists. 3 months later, they were murdered by their own colleagues on the orders of Communist leaders in Milan. An awful tragedy. Continue reading
Lake Como’s Star Crossed Lovers: 1) Osvaldo and Louisa
Lake Como’s Star Crossed Lovers: 1) Osvaldo and Louisa – the story of two film stars from the fascist era. He was ‘addicted to morphine and she was addicted to him’ and this led to their tragic end on April 30th 1945. Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Events, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged Banda Koch, Cinecitta, cinema, cinevillaggio, Decima MAS, fascists, History, Junio Valerio Borghese, Lano D'Intelvi, Louisa Ferida, Marozin, Osvaldo Valenti, partisans, Pietro Koch, RSI, Smuggling, telefoni bianchi, Vega, Villa Fossati, Villa Triste
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Como’s Lake Montorfano: Commandos, Contraband and the CIA
Como’s Lake Montorfano: Commandos, Contraband and the CIA. How a commando group trained on Lake Montorfano became the model after April 25th 1945 for post war covert anti-communist action across Western Europe. Continue reading
Posted in crime, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged Allen Dulles, Angleton, CIA, Decima MAS, Gladio, Liberation Day, Mario Rossi, Montorfano, nazifascism, OSS, P2, partisans, Piazza Fontana, Politics, Porlezza, Prince Julio Valerio Borghese, RSI, spallone, spies, Ugo Ricci, Vega
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