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Recent Posts
- 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
- Garibaldi, the Battle of San Fermo and his Como Bride April 23, 2025
- Lake Como and the Grand Tour March 21, 2025
Category Archives: History
Heroism and Disaster in the Vallassina – Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27th
As a memorial to the millions of victims of the Holocaust I would like to recall the act of a young priest in Sormano who guided a party of 16 Jewish refugees to safety in Switzerland and set an altruistic example to his parishioners. Continue reading
Posted in History, People, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged church, Don Carlo Banfi, History, Holocaust victims, Muro di Sormano, Nesso, Pian del Tivano, resistance, Schuster, Sormano, Valassina, Vallasina
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Como’s December Delights
As the nights grow longer and temperatures get lower, Como goes through another of its periodical metamorphoses – producing a set of seasonal December delights. What better way can there be of exploiting the increased hours of winter darkness than … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, People, Places of interest, silk, Uncategorized
Tagged Architecture, Art, Art Nouveau, bernasconi, Campanini, cernobbio, Christmas lights, Christmas market, CittadeiBalocchi, Como, crime, Culture, film, Liberty, lights, Margaret Atwood, Noir, Sport, Teatro Sociale, Ticosa, war
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Cantù – The Good, (The Bad) and The Beautiful
Cantù is famous for its master craftsmen and its long tradition of artisan furnishings and cabinet making. It is the spiritual home of the Brianza-based furniture industry yet, at only 10 kilometres from Como, remains off the main tourist map. … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, History, Itineraries, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged Architecture, Ariberto, Art, artisans, baptistry, Brianza, cabinet makers, Cantu, Carlo de Carli, churches, Como, crafts, Culture, Frescoes, furniture making, Galliano, Gio Ponti, industry, Madonna Della Latte, marquetry, Medieval, Rinascente, Romanasque, San Giovanni, San Vincenzo
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Cortesella – The Mythical Heart of Old Como
As Les Halles was to Paris or Seven Dials to London, so was the Cortesella to Como – the lost heart of the old town. The Cortesella (named after Via Cortesella) was a warren of narrow streets and alleyways to … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Culture, History, People, Places of interest, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged Architecture, Banca d'Italia, Como, Cortesella, Frigerio, les halles, nostalgia, Parisi, Piazza Duomo, redevelopment, Terragni
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Myth and Reality: Lake Monsters and Political Scandal
A piece of real ‘fake news’ turned up the other day in the local newspapers – a sighting of a prehistoric monster in the grounds of the long defunct textile factory, Ticosa, on the edge of Como’s historical centre. Regular … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, History, Lake, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged Lake Como, lake monsters, lariosauro, lariosaurus, Lierna, Mr. Savethewall, myth, Ticosa, Varenna
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Como Silk – Memoirs of a Textile Designer
Como has been a tourist destination from the days of the Grand Tour but it maintains equal significance as a centre for silk production. Current visitors to Como might think that the silk industry is a thing of the past … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Culture, History, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged abegg, archeology, bernasconi, cernobbio, Como, digitalisation, industry, inkjet, mantero, pinto, ratti, screen printing, silk, silk museum, villa erba
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Elegance at Villa D’Este
Today is the start of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. This is an annual gathering of vintage cars and motorbikes along with their owners and admirers. In most previous years this event has mainly taken place within the grounds of … Continue reading
Posted in Events, Gardens, History, Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged auctions, bugatti, cars, concorso d'eleganza, luxury, villa d'este, villa erba, vintage cars
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From Liberation Day to May Day
April 25th was Liberation Day in Italy – a public holiday to honour the signing of the Armistice in Rome 72 years ago. This brought an end to the Nazifascist regime in Northern Italy. It is a day of commemoration … Continue reading
Posted in Events, History, People, Places of interest, Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged antifascists, Aramis, Como, fascists, garibaldini, Liberation Day, Metropole Suisse, Moltrasio, Mussolini, partisans, Pedro, Schiefer, war
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The Como Companion 