Category Archives: People

Shadow of the Mafia over Como

Posted on January 14, 2021 by comocompanion

Shadow of the Mafia over Como following the arrest of 34 operating a scam involving the deliberate bankruptcy of 40 cooperatives and the closure of Pane e Tulipani in Como’s old town. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Avenue Hotel, Bruno De Benedetto, cooperatives, Lido, lomazzo, mafia, ndrangheta, organised crime, Pane e Tulipani, usury, Viale Geno, Villa Olmo | Leave a comment

R.I.P. Noir in Festival at Como

Posted on December 15, 2020 by comocompanion

Covid has wounded ‘Noir in Festival’ this year but at least there are the online interviews and we hope the festival will be back in Como next year. Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Culture, Events, People | Tagged Bruno Morchio, crime, Cristina Cassar Scalia, Donato Carrisi, festival, Francesco Abate, Giancarlo de Cataldo, Lorenza Ghinelli, Maurizio de Giovanni, murder, Noir, Scerbanenco, Suburra, Tullio Avoledo | Leave a comment

Como’s Pantero Pantera and other Admirable Admirals

Posted on November 20, 2020 by comocompanion

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 | 1 Comment

Lake Como Poetry Way and its Little Free Libraries

Posted on November 6, 2020 by comocompanion

The Lake Como Poetry Way’s literary associations are further enhanced by the establishment of 12 Little Free Libraries along its route increasing the impact of Pietra Berra’s project via the association Sentiero dei Sogni. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, Itineraries, People, Places of interest, Uncategorized, Walks | Tagged Alda Merini, Brunate, JMW Turner, Little Free Library, Maslianico, Passeggiate Creative, Pietro Berra, poetry, Poetry Way, Samuel Rogers, Sentiero dei Sogni, Ugo Foscolo, Villa del Grumello, Walks | 1 Comment

Como’s Lost ‘La Ruota’ Wheel

Posted on October 13, 2020 by comocompanion

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 | Leave a comment

Cricket in Cantù and Beyond

Posted on September 21, 2020 by comocompanion

Cricket is a team game which mystifies the uninitiated but enthrals those who are better acquainted. It’s also developing as one of the fastest growing sports internationally spreading well beyond its previous base in Britain and its ex-colonies. And there is also a team in the Province of Como – the Cantù Cricket Club. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, People, Sport, Uncategorized | Tagged Cantu, cricket, integration, lega nord, settimo milanese | Leave a comment

Como’s Star-Crossed Lovers: 2 – ‘Gianna’ and ‘Neri’

Posted on June 16, 2020 by comocompanion

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 →

Posted in crime, History, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Canali, casa del fascio, Dongo, Fabio, Gamburota, Gianna, Gold, Gorrieri, Lezzeno, lovers, Lugano, Neri, OSS, Paolo Porta, partisans, PCI, spies, Tucci | Leave a comment

Como and Early Lombardy Baroque

Posted on June 4, 2020 by comocompanion

Como and Early Lombardy Baroque. Morazzoni (Como’s Caravaggio) and the Morazzoniani. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Culture, History, People, Uncategorized | Tagged baroque, Caravaggio, Fratelli Recchi, Frescoes, mannerists, Morazzone, Odescalchi, Perseus, putti, Rusca, sacro monte, Saint George, Sala Recchi, Tirano, Valtellina, Varese | Leave a comment

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 →