Category Archives: History

Lake Como’s Star Crossed Lovers: 1) Osvaldo and Louisa

Posted on May 14, 2020 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Como’s Lake Montorfano: Commandos, Contraband and the CIA

Posted on April 27, 2020 by comocompanion

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 | 9 Comments

Holidaying on Lake Como: In the Footsteps of Mary Shelley

Posted on April 9, 2020 by comocompanion

Holidaying on Lake Como: In the Footsteps of Mary Shelley, author of ‘Frankenstein’ who in June 1840 set out with friends and her son to spend the summer on the lake. We trace her route. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Gardens, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized | Tagged Bellagio, Cadenabbia, Canova, Diligence, giuditta pasta, Rhine, travel, Villa Melzi, Villa Pliniana, Villa Serbelloni, Voiturier | 2 Comments

Como’s History of Plague and Pandemics

Posted on March 30, 2020 by comocompanion

Como’s History of Plague and Pandemics. It will end and a fitting way to commemorate it would be to restore our lazzaretto – the ex-Chiesa di San Lazzaro as a monument to all local victims of plagues and pandemics throughout the ages. Continue reading →

Posted in History, Uncategorized, Wellness | Tagged 1630, Cholera, Coronavirus, Covid-19, health, I Promessi Sposi, Lazzaretto, Madonna del Bisbino, Manzoni, milan, pandemic, Plague, Rifugio Bugone, San Lazzaro, San Rocco, Vetta Bisbino, Villa Geno | 2 Comments

Lake Como: The 19th Century Super Highway

Posted on March 5, 2020 by comocompanion

Lake Como: The 19th Century Super Highway. From even before Julius Caesar established Como and right until the mid 20th century, the lake formed a vital section of a transalpine communications network populated with stately sailboats. Continue reading →

Posted in History, Lake, Places of interest, Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged boats, Breva, Camerlata, Comballo, concordia, Ferrovia Nord, Gondola Lariana, Lucia, Navigazione Laghi, Piazza Cavour, railway, sail, Sant'Agostino, Tivano | Leave a comment

Como’s Famous Daughters: Teresa Ciceri, Agrarian Scientist

Posted on February 19, 2020 by comocompanion

Como’s Famous Daughters: Teresa Ciceri. In anticipation of International Women’s Day – this esteemed colleague of Alessandro Volta was an agrarian scientist whose innovations improved many lives. She deserves greater recognition. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Food, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged agrarian science, Alessandro Volta, asbestos, Camnago, Candida Parenti, Canon Gattoni, Cosia, Istituto Nazionale, lupins, methane, Patriottica, Porta Nuova, potatoes, Teresa Ciceri, Valtellina | Leave a comment

Como Remembers the Holocaust

Posted on January 23, 2020 by comocompanion

Como Remembers the Holocaust. For this Memorial Day I wish to recall the exploits of Giorgio Perlasca, born in Como on January 31st 1910, who has been attributed with saving the lives of over 5000 Jews living in Hungary. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Events, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged anti-semitism, Don Banfi, fascism, holocaust, Italian Jews, Perlasca, Politics, Racial Laws, Shoah | Leave a comment

Poets’ Way: Como to Brunate

Posted on December 18, 2019 by comocompanion

Within minutes on foot you can leave the centre of Como and be walking up through tranquil woods to Brunate – on a path that has now been renamed Sentiero Alda Merini in honour of her poetry Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, History, Itineraries, Lake, People, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Alda Merini, Brunate, Mary Shelley, nature, poetry, romanticism, sentiero, Ugo Foscolo, wildlife, Wordsworth | Leave a comment

Noir in Festival – Como 2019

Posted on December 4, 2019 by comocompanion

Noir in Festival – Como 2019, This Friday, 6th December, sees the start of the Como-based section of ‘Noir in Festival’ – an annual feast of crime film and fiction. We consider the historical reasons why ‘noir’ is popular in Italy. Continue reading →