Category Archives: History

Going Slow on Lake Como

Posted on April 19, 2018 by comocompanion

What is Slow Tourism and what are some of its options on Lake Como – in support of AMADO’s initiative Primavera di Mobilita Dolce. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Food, History, Itineraries, Lake, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged camminacitta, iubilantes, Judith Wade, mobilita dolce, Ossuccio, sacro monte, slow tourism, Sustainability, tourism | Leave a comment

Como’s Ines Figini, Auschwitz Survivor – A Celebration for International Women’s Day

Posted on March 4, 2018 by comocompanion

Ines was a young girl working in Como’s largest silk factory when she took part in a strike that led to her deportation as a slave in Germany’s labour camps. This is a summary of her story for International Women’s Day. Continue reading →

Posted in Events, History, People, silk, Uncategorized | Tagged Auschwitz, Birkenau, holocaust, Ines Figini, Mauthausen, Paolo Porta, Politics, Ravensbruck, strikes, Tintoria Comense, Umberto Walter | Leave a comment

Fables, Legends and Folklore: The 3 Days of the Blackbird

Posted on February 2, 2018 by comocompanion

What is the meaning and origin of ‘i giorni della merla’ – the 3 days of the blackbird. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Folklore, History, Uncategorized | Tagged blackbirds, Cremona, legends, Lodi, lombardy, Merla, milan, weather, winter | Leave a comment

Heroism and Disaster in the Vallassina – Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27th

Posted on January 24, 2018 by comocompanion

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 | 3 Comments

Como’s December Delights

Posted on November 28, 2017 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Cantù – The Good, (The Bad) and The Beautiful

Posted on November 15, 2017 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Cortesella – The Mythical Heart of Old Como

Posted on September 15, 2017 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Myth and Reality: Lake Monsters and Political Scandal

Posted on August 13, 2017 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Como Silk – Memoirs of a Textile Designer

Posted on July 28, 2017 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Elegance at Villa D’Este

Posted on May 26, 2017 by comocompanion

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 →