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Recent Posts
- Como: Looking for Culinary Authenticity April 7, 2026
- Escaping the Holocaust- Via Switzerland? January 30, 2026
- Como’s Sepulchral Art – The City of the Dead January 15, 2026
- Federico Frigerio: The Face of Como October 14, 2025
- Como’s Twin-Tailed Mermaids June 23, 2025
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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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Swimability 2020: ‘Excellent’ Lake Bathing
Swimability 2020: ‘Excellent’ Lake Bathing. The season is starting late and I had feared that lockdown may have impacted pollution of the lake’s water – but all is well and most beaches have excellent clean results. Continue reading
Posted in Lake, Places of interest, Uncategorized
Tagged bacteria, bathing, beach, beaches, brienno, Careno, Como, e-coli, effluent, Enterococci, health, Lake, Lake Como, Moltrasio, pollution, swimming, Tremezzo, water quality, wild swimming
3 Comments
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
Tourism 2020: Post Covid Como
Tourism 2020: Post Covid Como. How will Covid 19 effect this year’s tourist season on Lake Como? When can we expect to enjoy the lake in the way residents or visitors might remember from former times? More questions than answers. Continue reading
Posted in Events, Gardens, Lake, Restaurants, Uncategorized
Tagged boat hire, covid, health, phase 2, tourism, travel
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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
9 Comments
Holidaying on Lake Como: In the Footsteps of Mary Shelley
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
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
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Lake Como: The 19th Century Super Highway
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
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The Como Companion 