The Como Companion

Lake Como’s British Enclave, the Anglican Church and Landscape Art

Posted on August 11, 2023 by comocompanion

brochure exhibition — The brochure for the upcoming Art Exhibition in Tremezzo featuring a sketch by John Wonnacott of the view from the terrace of Villa Collina, Griante.

An exhibition of original works by some of the most prestigious contemporary English figurative artists will open on August 19th in Tremezzo. The exhibition will later move to Gurr Johns International Gallery in London where the works will be sold to raise funds for the restoration of Cadenabbia’s Anglican Church.

The British, Cadenabbia and landscape art have all had a close association from the early years of the 19th century. British visitors and residents have long appreciated the splendour of the lake whose natural beauty has attracted both professional and amateur artists keen to capture its sublime and dramatic aspects. The Grand Hotel Cadenabbia has to this day proved popular with British guests as in the case of Mary Shelley who stayed two months at the hotel on her return visit to Italy with her son in June 1840. Back in April this year a group of twenty contemporary British artists stayed in the Villa Collina in Griante above Cadenabbia to participate in a four day residential course. The results of this art project form the basis of the exhibition opening on August 19th in Tremezzo. The later sale of the works at the London gallery will go to provide funds for much needed restoration of the Anglican church and secure financing to retain the ongoing functioning of the church through its season of regular services from May to September each year.

The Grand Hotel Cadenabbia established a small Anglican chapel for its many British guests back in the 1880’s. The permanent and temporary immigrant community then set about raising funds through subscription to build their own Anglican church. This was completed in 1891. The well-being of the church was and has always been dependent on the commitment and generosity of its congregation – and right now it stands in need of vital restoration.

The Grand Hotel Cadenabbia, one of the first grand hotels on Lake Como particularly favoured by British visitors.

The Church

The Cadenabbia Anglican Church of the Ascension

The International Church of the Ascension, to give the Cadenabbia Anglican Church its full name, is unique in being the only Anglican church on Lake Como. It holds a religious service in English every Sunday from May to September as well as providing a popular site for christenings and wedding blessings. It also hosts musical events throughout the summer season.

The church is itself a landmark on Lake Como due to its unique exterior and interior design. The exterior is the only completed work of a young gifted architect, Giuseppe Brentano. He graduated from Milan’s Brera Academy having gained public attention by winning a prize for the design of some of the external features of Milan’s Cathedral. At the age of 25 he was commissioned to design the Anglican Church by the main contributor to the building fund, Mr. Heathcote Long who lived in the nearby Villa Norella. Heathcote Long also gifted the land for the church from out of his villa’s parkland on the lakefront. The church has always seen its role as integrating itself and its congregation within the local community and so it was fitting that Brentano’s design incorporated neo-Romanesque elements from Lombard ecclesiastical tradition.

On Lake Como 1819 Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775-1851 Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/D15252

Foundations were laid in 1889 but when Brentano came to visit the site in November of that year, he caught a cold and went on to die tragically young of pneumonia. However the construction was entrusted to a company run by one of Brentano’s uncles who remained entirely faithful to his nephew’s original vision, allowing the young architect posthumously to achieve at least one completed project.

One of the two exterior mosaics designed and constructed by Murchison.

The interior of the church is as distinctive as the exterior but was completed later in the 1920’s with mosaics and so-called ‘sgraffito’ work in the Art Deco style. It was the new owner of Villa Norella, Roderick Falconer Murchison, who was responsible for the exterior and interior mosaic work. His interest in mosaics was further encouraged when he befriended James Powell, a member of the congregation and owner of Whitefriars Glass in London. Little is known about who designed or carried out the ‘sgraffito’ work of which there are numerous examples around Lake Como.

Villa Norella, Cadenabbia, home of Heathcote Long who helped fund the building of the church and gifted the land for its site. It was later occupied by Murchison who designed the external and internal mosiacs.

Restoration

Not only did the church lose its congregation during the Second World War but it also suffered damage from an allied bomb dropped on return from one of the numerous raids over Milan. The blast blew out the original stained glass and caused damage to the roof and guttering. The church did however reopen in 1948 with clear glass replacement to the windows. The church reached a crisis point in 2016 with a shrinking congregation and continued deterioration to the fabric of the building, Its diminishing funds had already been spent on updating the electrics when the results of the five yearly compulsory survey revealed the need to spend a further 100,000 euros on necessary repairs. Reduced funds and the declining congregation meant the church faced the threat of imminent closure on its 125th year anniversary.

The interior of the church showing the Art Deco sgraffito work, some of the stained glass and the water damage.

The church’s survival is mainly down to two key factors; namely the leadership provided by Roger Williams, the church’s vicar from 2016, and the commitment of its congregation. Roger Williams provided four years of continuity during which time the community grew and the congregation took on as much of the renovation work as they could manage by themselves. Meanwhile one of the members of the congregation, Tim Guinness, was considering if the Cadenabbia Anglican Church could replicate a funding project carried out on behalf of St. George’s Anglican Church in Venice. Adopting some aspects of the Venice scheme, another member of the congregation, Jeannie Willan, organised a residential retreat for artists in Villa Collina in 2018. This raised €6,000 which went to restore one of the stained glass windows. This initiative alongside the ongoing leadership and sense of community fostered by Roger Williams led to an enhanced spirit of confidence in their joint ability to tackle the restoration challenges.

The apse of the church decorated with marble and golden mosaics.

Tim Guinness’s plans for the fund raising art project were further developed and all was set for its launch in October 2020 when fate and Covid struck. Fate came with the death of the church’s inspirational vicar, Roger Williams and the death of one of the church wardens. Covid meant the cancellation of the project and a further reduction in seasonal visitors. This in turn led to a drop in the additional income raised through christenings and wedding blessings. The church was barely open at all in 2020 and just for a single month in 2021. Covid’s impact was still felt in 2022 with no increase in the congregation when the next five yearly survey came due. The results were heartening in the sense that the congregation were commended for the work they had been able to undertake since 2016 but it highlighted continued problems with the roof with water ingress damaging the interior. It also highlighted structural issues with the steeple. Now more than ever was the time to launch the fund raising project delayed since 2020.

The Art Project

The cultural historian and ex-Director of the Royal Academy of Art Sir Charles Saumarez Smith who introduced the four day artists’ residential course at the Lake Como Landscape Museum.

Tim Guinness took inspiration for the Cadenabbia Art Project from the success of a forerunning fund raiser for St. George’s Church in Venice. This prior project was organised by Tim’s friend and fellow alumnus from Magdalen College, Cambridge, Tim Llewellyn – previously a Sotheby’s Old Master expert and Art Detective Group Leader. He had launched a scheme back in 2007 inviting up to twenty artists to a residential retreat in Venice from which they would produce works with part of the sale proceeds going to the church’s restoration fund. As Tim Llewellyn said at the time, “We wanted to make an exhibition that would show that Venice is a sufficiently complex subject with a wide enough appeal to provide inspiration to artists representing quite different generations, interests and approaches.” Many of the artists invited to Venice were Royal Academicians. St George’s Church was consecrated in 1892, one year after Cadenabbia. It too had to close during the Second World War and it too needed funding to repair the roof, stonework and the interior. As its chaplain reported at the time, the church’s priority was its roof “which already leaks in storms,“ as in Cadenabbia.

As in Venice so on Lake Como – Tim Guinness invited twenty British artists with a similar range in ages, backgrounds and styles as those who visited Venice. In fact the starting point for selecting the contributors was to choose some of those who went to Venice back in 2007. Others were then selected to ensure a good representation of both established and upcoming British figurative painters. The final list included such successful names as John Wonnacott and Peter Kuhfeld who have both undertaken commissions for the British Royal Family. The youngest member of the group was Alice Boggis-Rolfe who recently won the Winsor and Newton First Prize for a Young Artist. The local British community was represented by Irma Kennaway who originally came to Como twenty nine years ago as a fabric designer working for silk manufacturer Mantero SpA.

Self-portrait of Alice Boggis-Rolfe, one of the younger members on the residential course. Copyright Alice Boggis-Rolfe.

The residential course ran for four days with all the artists staying at the Villa Collina in Griante above Cadenabbia. Villa Collina was the favourite summer retreat for West Germany’s first chancellor after the last war, Konrad Adenauer. The course kicked off with an introductory talk at the Villa Mainona given by the British cultural historian Sir Charles Saumarez Smith, who retired back in 2018 as Director of the Royal Academy of Art. He outlined the history of landscape art on the lake and the general cultural heritage of the area. Further visits were made to some of the well known villas in Tremezzina, Varenna and Bellagio. The group also explored the crests of the mountains overlooking the lake with a stop at the Rifugio Venini at 1,575 metres above sea level beside the summit of Monte Galbiga. Here they learned about some of the darker aspects of local history with the Cadorna line of artillery defences constructed in the First World War and the fate of resistance fighters under Captain Ugo Ricci during the more recent Nazifascist occupation of Northern Italy.

Monte Crocione above Lenno and close to the Rifugio Venini.

In the words of Alice Boggis-Rolfe, “I found it completely beautiful.The perfect trio of mountains, lakes and architecture brought together with abundant gardens inspired me most and almost all of my paintings from the trip are of the relationship between the gardens and the landscape beyond.”

The Exhibitions

Early morning sun shines from over the Grigne mountains with Bellagio in the middle distance dividing the lake eastwards to Lecco and south to Como.

The four day residential was conceived from the start in collaboration with the Lake Como Landscape Museum (Museo del Paesaggio del Lago di Como) housed in the Villa Mainona in Tremezzo. It is here that some finished output and work in progress will initially be exhibited. Not all of the finished works will be on display at Tremezzo due to logistical constraints but if absent, they will be represented by sketches, photographs and notes illustrating the creative process. The exhibition will also outline the history of the Anglican church and its links with the local and foreign community over time.

The Villa Mainona in Tremezzo hosts the Lake Como Landscape Museum

All of the finished works will then be on display from the 13th to the 17th November at the Gurr Johns International Gallery in London’s Pall Mall where they will be available for sale. A brochure with prices will be available digitally from marie.ainsby@gafunds.com

Proceeds from the sale will go to fund the urgent restoration work at the church with priority, as previously in Venice, given to the roof repairs to stop further water ingress damaging the interior decoration. Money will also be kept back to give some further continuity in providing regular church services during the long summer season.

Challenges for the Future

Clearly buildings of such elaborate internal design and complex exterior architecture require constant maintenance. The need for adequate funding to cover these needs will be an ongoing challenge for the church’s community. However they have proven time again to possess the energy and capacity to face such challenges with confidence and imagination.

The late Janet Anderson, Director of Music alongside the organ she restored back in 2013

The church will always be in demand for English-speaking couples wishing to get married on the lake as well as for Anglican christenings. Also the church’s deep ties with the local community will ensure it remains a popular venue for musical events. Back in 2013 the church’s Musical Director, the late Janet Anderson, raised over £30,000 for the restoration of the organ and audiences have since been able to enjoy a number of organ recitals in this beautiful setting.

But the church is only open during the prolonged summer season as is not the case at St. George’s in Venice. This makes it more difficult to find a locum vicar with the right time available. The task has not been made any easier by the UK’s exit from the European Union with the added complexity to employment contracts, work visas and taxation arrangements. Yet here again, the congregation have faced and overcome such issues in the past and, on current form, are likely to continue to do so.

The heyday of the Grand Tour and the Belle Epoque is now long over but the long running love of the British for Lake Como continues unabated. Cadenabbia’s Anglican Church of the Ascension is a physical and spiritual monument to that cultural and artistic connection and long may it so remain.

The stained glass rose window restored in previous years thanks to funds raised by the congregation.

Acknowledgements

My thanks are due to Jeannie Willan and Tim Guinness who both gave freely of their time in contributing to this article.

Further Details

The Cadenabbia Anglican Church of the Ascension is at Via Statale 31, 22011 Griante, CO. The website is www.churchonlakecomo.com

The Lake Como Landscape Museum (Museo del Paesaggio del Lago di Como) is on Via Regina 22, 22019 Tremezzo CO. The phone number is +39 0344 533023 and the email address is museodelpaesaggio@comune.tremezzina.co.it.

The Gurr Johns International Gallery is at 16, Pall Mall, London SW1 5LU.

Como Municipality’s Heraldic Confusion

Posted on July 25, 2023 by comocompanion

This large banner housed within Palazzo Cernezzi, the city’s town hall, shows the coats of arms of the cities within the old Diocese of Como which stretched as north as Bellinzona, as west as Varese and as east as Bormio.

Como’s city council has sought to clarify a case of heraldic confusion. The new mayor, Alessandro Rapinese, on gaining office last year, decided to clarify what must have been the most insignificant of the many issues facing the new administration, – its coat of arms. The local newspaper, La Provincia, on 26th May reported him as saying:

“Since taking office we have been trying to manage the chaos inside the Palace, even in small things. In addition, Wednesday we fixed another disturbing element after discovering that the Municipality of Como actually has more coats of arms and that the statute does not comply with what was approved by the Heraldry office of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, to whom we have turned for clarity. Como will now have the coat of arms that has been attributed to it and I think we are the only case in the Republic to have modified it”
Alessandro Rapinese, as reported by La Provincia

The city council’s heraldry consists of three separate elements namely the coat of arms, the banner and the logo. As Rapinese continued to explain: “The banner is inexplicably correct.”

Let’s view the evidence. Seen below are three current versions of the city’s coat of arms. On the left is the version now approved by Rome’s heraldic office. In the middle is the version emblazoned on the city’s official banner. On the right is the version publicised and approved since 2016. I am not proposing a ‘Spot the Difference’ prize for these three similar if not totally identical images yet whatever differences there are could hardly in themselves justify the Mayor’s promise that “one step at a time all the coats of arms on the website and on signs will be brought into line with the correct one“.

Three very similar versions of Como’s coat of arms (the ‘stemma’). On the left is the version recently approved, in the middle is the version that is ‘inexplicably correct’ on the city’s banner. On the right is the version currently still posted online as the official one.

However the third element in Como’s semiotic trio, the logo, might give the vital clue to what may be the ‘disturbing element’ within the municipality’s heraldic representations. The city council publishes online some very precise details on the logo’s looks and how it can be represented. The ‘official’ version is shown below on the left next to a version lifted from Wikipedia. Both versions differ markedly from the coat of arms above. So it might be safe to assume it is the logo that is about to be modified and not the coat of arms. Unfortunately it is the logo that gets emblazoned on every rubbish bin across the city including those only recently installed on the newly opened lakefront passeggiata.

Two versions of the city’s logo. the one on the left is still the official one. The one on the right is lifted from Wikipedia, is not officially approved but is closer to the coat of arms in that the motto ‘LIBERTAS’ is at least shown in black.

None of this is of earth shattering importance albeit, in tackling ‘even the small things’ it may just inspire a sense of potency and ambition within the city’s administration with unexpected consequences. Whatever may be any eventual impact, the immediate result has been to provoke some priceless sarcastic commentary accompanying the media reports in the online paper, ComoZero and the daily La Provincia. Such comments as ‘At least this problem of the coat of arms is fixed. I haven’t been able to sleep serenely for months!’ or ‘Thank God this has been resolved. It’s been years that I have felt uncomfortable looking at our coat of arms without knowing why. Now we are a better city – I feel we finally have an administration prepared to take on vital issues for the community. We have reestablished order, restored harmony..’

The room within Palazzo Cernezzi where the city council meet to deliberate matters such as the design of the city’s coat of arms, amongst other much more serious matters.

Leaving all flippancy aside, there is some value in exploring the design of the coat of arms for those with an interest in history. For example the red background to the shield with the white cross identifies Como as a ‘Ghibelline’ city as opposed to the white background and red cross of ‘Guelph’ cities like Milan. The distinction between Guelph and Ghibelline was a feature throughout Mediaeval Northern and Central Italy with the Ghibellines supporting the claims of the Holy Roman Emperor and the Guelphs supporting the Pope. For Como, the Holy Roman Emperor Federico Barbarossa was nothing less than a saviour who came and liberated them from Milanese oppression following the disastrous outcome of the city’s ten years of warfare with Milan from 1118 to 1127.

Federico Barbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor and Como’s saviour in liberating the city from Milanese control.

The other distinctive element is the motto ‘LIBERTAS’ in the lower right quarter of the shield. This was apparently first added to the coat of arms following Barbarossa’s sacking of Milan and liberation of Como in 1157. The motto then came and went according to the fate of the city through the ages. It was removed during the time of the Visconti’s rule to be reinstated during the short lived period of the Sant Abbondio Republic. It disappeared again under Spanish and then Austrian dominion to finally return following Garibaldi’s liberation of the city in 1859.

Como first earned the right to top its coat of arms with a crown when Francis of Austria granted it the status of a ‘Royal City’ on the 9th November 1819. The design of the crown changed following Garibaldi’s liberation of the city under the flag of the Royal House of Savoy.

One of the main differences between the logo and the coat of arms is in the form and colour of the ‘floral’ embellishments. The coat of arms bears green sprigs of laurel and oak while the logo features a golden metallic design. The golden version was introduced under Austrian rule so as to avoid the combination of green, white and red that could easily be associated with the irridentist tricolour and the struggle for independence. It would seem unusual that the city’s logo maintained such an unpatriotic feature for so long. And so perhaps the mayor’s intervention is not such a small matter after all!

Isola Comacina – A Serene Location with a Tragic Past

Posted on July 13, 2023 by comocompanion

Isola Comacina is the only island on Lake Como. Its past glory and tragic destiny results from its strategic position close to the narrow channel in the lake between the promontory housing the Villa del Balbianello and the town of Lezzeno on the eastern shore. Whoever occupied Isola Comacina could control navigation on the lake southwards to Como itself and on to Milan or northwards towards the Val Chiavenna and the Valtellina with their access over the Alps to the river systems of the Rhine and Danube. Isola Comacina was to pay a heavy price for its valued location.

Looking out from the eastern tip of the island to the promontory of the Villa Balbianello.

Nowadays Isola Comacina is a beautifully serene spot totally uninhabited for reasons we will uncover, but well maintained for those visiting its ancient ruins or the three houses for artists designed by Pietro Lingeri. These three houses were built in 1939 for the Milanese Brera Academy of Art to whom the island had been entrusted by the Italian state. The island is only 600 metres long by 200 metres wide and so is very easy to explore. It is a mere 250 metres from the mainland with the point of embarkation at Ossuccio’s Antiquarium (a mediaeval hospital). The Antiquarium forms part of the complex around the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena whose bell tower is one of Lake Como’s iconic structures. A visit to the island is highly recommended not just for the archaeological and architectural aspects but also because it’s a calming tranquil spot isolated from the sometimes frenetic mainland with glorious views up, down and across the lake.

Isola Comacina’s distant history is still visible amongst its ancient ruins, as with the mosaic of a fish dating back to the 5th century within the Baptistry alongside the Church of John the Baptist. The frescoes within this same structure date from within the 8th and 9th centuries. The ruins of the Basilica di Sant’Eufemia date back to their origin in the 7th century. The basilica would later be remodelled in the Romanesque style in the 11th century before it and all the other religious buildings and walled defences were destroyed in February 1169.

Isola Comacina in the Early Mediaeval Era

The Baptistry was first built in the 5th century with later additions in the 8th and 9th.

Walking around the tranquil island today, it is hard to imagine it as the vibrant religious, political, and military base it was back in the 11th century. Its role might be compared with Baghdad’s ‘Green Zone’ in that it provided a secure environment for the military, religious and cultural elite and also a safe area for the residents of its hinterland on the shore, namely Colonno, Sala, Ossuccio and Campo, to retreat into in times of danger. Its monastery, castle and numerous churches were all enclosed within defensive walls with a naval fleet on hand to patrol and protect access from the lake.

Its defences, none of which survive today, were originally built by the Romans and later enlarged under Byzantine rule in the 6th century to strengthen what was known as the ‘Linea Greca’ whose primary purpose was to protect Como. In addition to the island itself, the other two elements of defence were Como’s city walls and the Torre Baradello standing sentinel over the Pianura Padana. In the 520’s Isola Comacina was commanded by the Byzantine Captain Francilione who held out against the Lombard invasion from Germany for twenty years. Francilione controlled considerable territory on the lake until gradually he was forced back into his stronghold on the island. The Lombards were unable to mount an invasion across the mere 250 metres of lake but did maintain a siege of the island for six months before coming to an agreement with Francilione granting him free passage to the Byzantine capital in Ravenna.

The island then went on to prosper under the culturally and religiously benign rule of the Lombard Queen Teodolinda and beyond until the start of the 12th century. Its fortunes then took a dramatic change on the outbreak of the ten years of warfare between Como and Milan in 1118.

Isola Comacina in the 10 Year War with Como

In 1118 Milan declared war on Como seeing it as a trading rival and resenting Como’s ability to extract duties on goods passing through its territory and on the lake. Isola Comacina decided to side with Milan and set about building seven galleys to transport troops down for an attack on Como in the following summer. Wars in those days were conducted as seasonal affairs with fighting restricted to the summer months. In 1119, the island duly disembarked its seven galleys of troops in Laglio who then preceded to march south as far Cernobbio where they were met by Como’s cavalry on the banks of the River Breggia close to the modern day Villa Dozzio. Round one went to Como.

The ruins of the Chiesa Santa Maria col portico

The next season’s fighting (1120) saw galleons from Isola Comacina team up with ships from Menaggio, Nesso and Gravedona to descend the lake and await the outcome of a land battle between the Milanese and Como troops. The outcome was a treaty and an agreement to cease hostilities until the next warring season of August 1121. Como used the time granted them to build up their own fleet of galleons and then duly launched them against Isola Comacina provoking a naval battle in the waters between the promontory of the Villa Balbianello and Lezzeno. Como won the battle following it up two days later by returning to destroy the rest of the island’s fleet. They returned yet again that summer to lay waste to the towns of Campo, Sala and Colonno whose inhabitants fled to seek safety within Isola Comacina’s defences. Como ended the season of 1121 with a successful attack on Bellagio.

One of the three artists’ residences built in 1939 by Pietro Lingeri

In 1124, Como made two attacks on Isola Comacina which ended with Como making an offer of peace once they had again sacked Campo. The island refused the peace offer provoking Como into laying waste to the nearby towns of Mezzegra, Colonno and Menaggio. Como’s run of good fortune against the much larger community of Milan could not last for ever particularly once Milan enrolled other cities such as Pavia, Cremona and Lecco to join their cause. Como was finally and convincingly defeated in 1131. The victors tore down the city’s walls, sacked all buildings other than the churches, convents and monasteries, and forbade trade and markets. Como as a functioning city did not exist for the next thirty years, and Isola Comacina could relax with its local enemy vanquished.

Federico Barbarossa

The fortunes of both Isola Comacina and Como itself would take another turn on the arrival in Italy in 1158 of the recently appointed Holy Roman Emperor, Federico Barbarossa. The purpose of his first armed invasion of Northern Italy was to persuade the Milanese to recognise his dominion over the city. In achieving this he also forced Milan into restoring freedom to the cities of Como and Lodi. He then meted out the same destruction on Milan as the Milanese had inflicted on Como thirty years previously. Namely its defensive walls were torn down and most buildings apart from churches, monasteries and convents were destroyed. With her new powerful ally, Como’s ill-fortune was reversed with Barbarossa investing heavily in the city’s defence against attacks either from Milan or from any of Milan’s allies on the lake. He rebuilt Como’s Torre Baradello and the city walls of which over 70% still stand today. He then turned his mind to the last element in the ancient Byzantine ‘Linea Greca’ – Isola Comacina.

Monastic complex of Saints Faustino and Giovita

The story goes that in 1162 Barbarossa sailed single handed to the island and simply shouted over to the islanders to surrender. Barbarossa had established such a ferocious reputation that the islanders immediately complied without argument. The island’s submission to Barbarossa’s authority was sufficient for him but not for Como. The Comaschi were intent on bloodthirsty revenge for the island’s allegiance to Milan during the ten years war.

The Destruction of Isola Comacina

In February 1169 a force from Como allied with troops from the semi-independent state of the Tre Pieve (Gravedona, Dongo and Sorico) attacked the island causing the nuns from the monastery of Saints Faustino and Giovita and all the priests and acolytes of the island’s churches to flee to Varenna. Every building was then burnt and destroyed and the defensive walls pulled down. Also, contrary to the established rules of war at the time, the destruction included the monastery, the Basilica and the six other churches.

Sagra di San Giovanni, Isola Comacina. An annual firework display re-enacting the sacking of Isola Comacina by Como in the 12th century

Following this complete destruction of all habitations on Isola Comacina, Como’s Bishop Anselmo Della Torre cursed the island in the following terms:

‘The bells will never ring again, stone will not be set upon stone, no one will ever host you again, on pain of violent death.’
Anselmo Della Torre

The curse was not entirely effective in that the Benedictine Convent of Saint Faustino may have been established back in 994 but the current building was constructed after the massacre of 1169. The same goes for the current Church of Saint John the Baptist which was built towards the end of the 15th century on top of the ruins of the original church destroyed in 1169. It was subsequently remodelled on Baroque lines in 1635 with the bell tower added in 1675.

However the island did remain mostly unoccupied for the next 750 years, until it fell into the ownership of the King of Belgium who passed it on to the Italian Royal Family in 1919. However even now, there seems a reluctance for anyone to live on the island in spite of the three studios for artists built for the Brera Academy.

Historical Re-enactments

St. John the Baptist is the patron saint of the island and his saint day is celebrated on June 24th. It is on or near this date (the last Saturday in June) when the fatal destruction of the island back in February 1169 is re-enacted in a massive spectacular firework display which engulfs the entire length of the island. The Sagra was suspended for two or possibly three years but it was held again this year, as another welcome sign of local recovery from Covid. The event is so popular that the roads to Colonno, Sala and Ossuccio are practically impassable for hours. One excellent option for travelling from Como and viewing the Sagra is going on the cruise organised by the Navigazione specifically for the event.

The Palio del Balbianello kicks off in September with the re-enactment of the arrival of Federico Barbarossa in March 1159

While the Comaschi may not be so proud of their unprincipled destruction of the island so many years ago, they are delighted to remember and re-enact the arrival in March 1159 of their saviour from Milanese oppression – Federico Barbarossa. The Palio del Baradello is a series of events and activities intended to mirror the festivities laid on for Barbarossa when he landed on the shores of Como. It is held from the end of August to the beginning of September. As with Isola Comacina, the celebrations are not held on the actual anniversary of the original event but are timed to coincide with the local saints day with Como celebrating Saint Abbondio’s day on August 30th.

Visiting Isola Comacina

The island has a distinct still atmosphere of its own resulting partly from its relative isolation but also by the ample evidence amongst its ruins of its tragic past. For the last three years the island has been off limits to visitors since its single landing stage was deemed unsafe. Fortunately the landing stage has now been repaired and visits were permitted again from this April.

Tickets for the boat crossing and entry to the small museum cost €6 and are on sale within the Antiquarium.

Research Sources

Ettore Maria Peron’s book Storia di Como, published in 2017 by Edizioni Biblioteca Dell’Immagine was invaluable in writing this article.

The bell tower of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena

Posted in Architecture, Art, Culture, Events, History, Itineraries, Lake, Places of interest | Tagged Antiquarium, Barbarossa, Campo, Colonno, History, isola comacina, milan, naval battle, Ossuccio, Pietro Lingeri, Sagra, Sala | 4 Comments

Shopping In and Around Como

Posted on June 24, 2023 by comocompanion

Photo courtesy of Ally Shop, one of the exclusive designs from this women’s wear designer with her boutique in Piazza Mazzini.

There are so many good motives for living in or visiting Como but one that we have not yet featured is the shopping! So to address that lack here are three different but excellent options, namely:

Meandering around the boutiques of Como’s ‘centro storico’
A trip to the heart of Italian fashion design in Milan
A day out at Serravalle Designer Outlet.

Como

Shopping in the historical centre of Como combines the pleasure of ambling around its ancient streets while indulging in relaxed window gazing. Como has for years maintained a policy of keeping its retail stores relatively small so as to encourage a greater variety of boutiques. There are no department stores in the centre apart from Coin in Via Boldoni. Instead you will find representative branches of many international chains like Max Mara, Benetton, Marina Rinaldi or Stefanel. You are also bound to come across the ubiquitous Tessabit, a local company set up seventy years ago and still managed by members of the local Molteni family. If all Tessabit branches were brought together they would form an extensive retail space but they have embodied the Como idea of maintaining relatively small individual multi-brand boutiques each slightly differentiated in terms of style and content but all committed to the high end of the market.

There are a number of separate Tessabit boutiques in the centre of Como. This year they celebrate 70 years under the direction of the Molteni family.

The real advantage of the focus on boutiques is the variety of styles and fashions represented not least due to the many small independent retailers who are encouraged to a) differentiate their particular customer offer and b) apply their own knowledge and links with Italian suppliers to stock items unlikely to be found on a normal High Street. These independent outlets can be found in nooks and crannies across the old centre.

Alessandra Binda, in her shop ‘Ally’ on Piazza Mazzini. All the garments on offer are designed and produced by her.

One of these independents is worth mentioning for the quality of their offer and to illustrate the variety and the gems that adventurous shoppers can find in Como. Ally, on the southern corner of Piazza Mazzini and Via Diaz, is a top-end women’s fashion shop specialising in cashmere for her winter collection and Como silk for summer. All of the items on sale are designed and produced by the shop’s owner, Alessandra Binda, which makes her boutique particularly unique.

Como remains the most important European centre for silk printing and finishing. As a result there are at least three shops in the centre selling silk items made in Como. They are A. Picci in Via Vittorio Emanuele, Inseta (InComo) near to the Porta Torre, and the recently established and fascinating Grand Tour Lake Como on Via Adamo del Pero. Inseta InComo also has a factory outlet store outside of the town centre in Via Pasquale Paoli as does Larioseta in Via Asiago in the Tavernola area.

Silk scarves designed by Kaos Design of Nesso and printed and finished in Como at the Grand Tour Lake Como in Via Adamo del Pero.

Milan

When a young American fashion designer, Tom Ford, came to Milan in 1990 to work for the House of Gucci, he not only transformed the fortunes of the ailing fashion house but also contributed to transforming Milan into one of the world’s most famous centres of fashion. The various fashion houses established or reinvigorated in those years are all focussed in a relatively small well defined area sometimes referred to as Milan’s Golden Triangle. The triangle is formed by Via Della Spiga, Via Sant’Andrea and Via Montenapoleone. There are so many good reasons for making a trip down to Milan where a look around the Golden Triangle can for example be combined with visiting the fine art collection in the nearby Brera Academy. No-one expects to stumble across a bargain in Milan’s most fashionable quarter but you will find the best of Italian fashion design.

Serravalle

But if you take a day trip out to the Serravalle Designer Outlet you will find numerous bargains in the stores of those same Milan fashion houses, or in any of the other luxury brands represented there. Serravalle is Europe’s largest luxury designer outlet which has itself been so well designed as to make a visit there relaxing and enjoyable even for people like myself who are reluctant shoppers. On a personal note, I had never previously been able to appreciate the concept of shopping as a leisure activity but Serravalle has shown me how it’s done!

They claim up to 70% less on standard retail pricing and describe themselves in their own words as having ‘ all the endless glamour you’d expect for a shopping destination only 50 minutes from Milan, one of the world’s most prestigious fashion capitals. It is a shopping heaven, offering an unmatched collection of Italian and international luxury brands – such as Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Valentino, Off-White, Jimmy Choo and many more, and incredible services all year round. Guest services include 14 restaurants and cafes, free parking, Shuttle bus service from main cities, free wifi, guest lounge, hands free shopping and a children’s area play area and waterpark. Serravalle Designer Outlet is also the gateway to explore Monferrato, its gastronomy and wine, including the distinguished Gavi, produced in the hills surrounding the Centre.’

The water park is open on weekends. It is one of the attractions to keep children happy while parents shop!

I visited Serravalle as one in a small invited group of fellow bloggers. I was definitely out of my customary environment not being known as a natural shopper. I was however sincerely impressed by the range (not just clothing) and quality of the shops present and, more importantly for me, by how well the outlet has been designed and signposted. Our hosts talked about the quality of the ‘shopping experience’ as might be expected from marketing professionals but by the time we left I had not only bought into the ‘leisure concept’ but also concurred over the quality of the ‘experience’. I came away feeling both relaxed and rewarded from my day out from Milan.

Spacious, well signposted and maintained – a faux village paradise for shoppers.

A visit to Serravalle is definitely an excursion – with all the facilities on site to meet most needs during the day. It is not a shopping mall. It is more of a faux village of entirely pedestrianised streets opening onto spacious piazzas with shaded seating areas for those taking time out. The overall architectural style of the two storey buildings might be characterised as Italy meets Las Vegas – but then most eyes are more likely to be focussed on the ground floor shopfronts. There are play areas for children and an Aqua Park with water slides which is open every weekend. They even offer a baby sitting service. When you first enter the village there is a reception area where all the facilities and additional services are explained including how foreign visitors can reclaim tax, with repayments processed within a mere 40 seconds. One slight compensation for UK’s ill-advised exit from the EU is that British residents can now also claim tax free refunds when shopping not just here but also in Milan or Como.

The Serravalle Designer Outlet reception is there to orientate visitors and outline the various services on offer.

For those visitors with the financial means, Serravalle provides services such as a guest lounge where one can recuperate with a glass of spumante at any time during the day. Or use their app for so-called ‘hands free’ shopping whereby all purchases are gathered up from wherever bought and delivered back to the lounge. A useful service for all visitors is the economical shuttle bus with departures from Milan’s Stazione Centrale at various times in the morning with a return at the end of the day.

The shuttle service to and from Milan’s Central Station is convenient and costs €22 for the round trip.

Whilst there is an undeniable and inevitable element of artificiality in a shopping centre that has not grown organically such as those of Como or Milan, Serravalle is however proudly located in place if not in time. It does act as a sort of gateway to the foothills and vineyards of Monferrato which are a visible backdrop as you walk around the site. It is a mere 10 kilometres from the heart of local wine production in the Comune of Gavi. The restaurant and wine bar where we lunched, LeDolciTerre, stocks 200 labels of Gavi and Monferrato wines and offers a cuisine based on local dishes. The outlet is also a keen supporter of local tourism and it promotes a large range of activities through a group called THINKSERRAVALLE as a fellow member of this local tourism consortium.

As guests of the Designer Outlet, myself and fellow bloggers ate at Ledolciterre, a wine bar and restaurant that proudly presents up to 200 of the local wines primarily made from the Cortese grape including those from the nearby Comune of Gavi. They also offer local dishes and a collection of Novi chocolate from nearby Novi Ligure.

…and Others

Visitors to Como may also be interested in visiting the Foxtown Discount Centre in Mendrisio, a town about 15 kilometres over the Swiss border. Here, as at Serravalle, there are a large number of famous name discount outlets with prices and discounts clearly shown on product labelling. However the shopping ‘experience’ is entirely different from that at Serravalle. For a start, Foxtown is an enclosed indoor covered mall which I found distinctly claustrophobic particularly on a warm summer’s day. The corridors do open up into a couple of floor to rooftop atriums but they do not dispel the overall sense of constricted space. Many of the retail units are quite small and ceiling heights low. This may all be irrelevant to an ardent bargain hunter but it does matter in terms of ‘experience’ and the likelihood that you would want to spend additional time in exploring the area. The signposting is inadequate and the numbering of the different retail units seems to lack any logic. Foxtown did not come over to me as somewhere I would want to linger, and in marked contrast to Serravalle, there was nothing in the centre to retain my interest. I am sure however that my comments are unlikely to deter seasoned and determined shoppers who may well not be disappointed in their search for a bargain.

Foxtown is laid out as a covered multi-story shopping mall with a somewhat claustrophobic feel in spite of the atriums as seen here.

Further Links

Como: Both Tessabit and Ally have an online presence where their goods can also be purchased. Silk scarves can be bought online at Grand Tour Lake Como but the two partners, Massimo and Davide, pointed out how the true beauty and quality of the craftsmanship can only be fully appreciated by a visit to their shop where they are also delighted to explain the separate elements in their original designs. More information on the two silk factory outlets is available from InSeta InComo and LarioSeta.

Serravalle: Go to their website to get a complete list of the shops in the Serravalle Designer Outlet, information on all the transport options to and from the site and the various packages available with added services and discounts. Purchases can also be made online and delivered to your home.

To better appreciate what the area around the Serravalle Designer Outlet and Monferrato has to offer, visit the ThinkSerravalle site. Those considering staying in the area might want to take advantage of a voucher scheme backed by the Piedmont Region which pays for two nights of a consecutive four night stay in a variety of local hotels and B&Bs. The site gives details of this voucher scheme along with wine tours, family activities and cultural and sporting visits.

Mendrisio: Bargain hunters entering Switzerland can plan their visit in advance via the Foxtown site. The area of Mendrisio itself is well worth exploring in particular the Park of the Breggia Gorge and the churches and vineyards around Castel San Pietro.

Fashion Bloggers

I hope this brief intro to shopping options in and around Como proves of interest to some but I cannot admit to being too knowledgeable about fashion so do check out the blogs by the three other accomplices with whom I visited the Serravalle Designer Outfit, namely Celia and her site http://milanostyle.com, Hellen whose site gives some general information on living in Milan – https://www.girlinmilan.com/, and finally Eva who combines being a fashionista with competitive swimming at https://www.themermaidfashion.com/

Posted in Fashion, People, Places of interest, Shopping, silk, Uncategorized | Tagged Ally, boutiques, Como, Designer Outlets, Foxtown, Gavi, Golden Triangle, LeDolciTerre, milan, Serravalle, Shopping, silk, ThinkSerravalle | Leave a comment

Fables, Legends and Folkore: A Walk to the Devil of Blevio and other Erratics

Posted on May 14, 2023 by comocompanion

Pietra Nairola 1 — The Pietra Nairola, a National Monument above Blevio where legend has it that the Devil threw a ball to and back from a neighbouring glacial erratic.

Those ancient ancestors who inhabited the hills around Lake Como could offer no logical explanation as to why massive rock boulders, formed entirely from rock unknown in the area, should have been placed so randomly around the countryside. With their intimate knowledge of their own environment but almost total ignorance of all that lay beyond it, they could only offer up magical notions for the presence of what we now call glacial erratics – also known locally as ‘trovanti’.

The area around Blevio and Torno is particularly rich in glacial erratics and three of the larger and better known examples can be visited on or nearby the mountain path from Brunate to Monte Piatto, above Torno. A description of that walk can be found at Como to Torno Revisited. However the description below is of a circular walk that sets out to view at close quarters each of these erratics, namely the Pietra Nairola (The Devil of Blevio), the Sasso del Lupo and the Pietra Pendula.

Glacial Erratic Legends

Until geologists had established that these anomalous boulders had been brought down and deposited by glaciers in retreat, the local population sought more fanciful explanations for their presence. Many of the boulders became the sites of pagan cults associating them with the presence of either malign or benign spirits believing that the rocks had enveloped these spirits who continued to exercise their influence over the surrounding territory. As pagan beliefs became fused with early Christianity the stones would often be considered the playground or alters to the Devil as with the Pietra Nairola, the first erratic on our route below. Here the old belief was that the Devil played a form of diabolic football with the spirit of a neighbouring boulder now no longer present. As time passed the local population sought to fully Christianise these sites as in the case of Pietra Nairola which became associated with a sighting of the Virgin Mary prompting the nearby construction of the Cappellina Monte.

The Val Masino on the northern slopes of the Valtellina is the source of the three large boulders brought down by glaciation and deposited on the path between Blevio and Torno.

Around Torno some of the glacial erratics were adapted to become human sepulchres, known as ‘massi avelli’. Our circular walk from Torno described in Torno Circuit: Piazzaga and Monte Piatto passes by at least three of these prehistoric sepulchres.

Of the erratics on this route, the Pietra Nairola is nothing less than a national monument while the Pietra Pendula at Monte Piatto is well known for looking like a giant mushroom. Between the two is the Sasso del Lupo which, in folklore, was the cave of a vicious wolf who would jump out of his lair to ensnare any passing child who was known to be naughty or disobedient. A number of other erratics can be seen along the path taken from Blevio to Monte Piatto.

Starting our Walk

Since this is a circular walk, it could be joined at any point along the route with easy access from either Blevio or Torno. I chose to start it right by the Cappellina del Tue in the area of Torno known as Perlasca, setting off along the road south towards Como now bypassed by one of the series of tunnels on the state highway. After about 300m along the main road, once in the Comune of Blevio and before the gatehouse of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the right, take the path climbing off to the left marked by a signpost for the Strada Regia.

Route of the circular walk starting from the Cappellina del Tue in Perlasca, on the southern edge of Torno.

Mediaeval Blevio

Once you have climbed above the level of the main road below, the path levels out to pass through the various old mediaeval clusters of Blevio starting with Colombaio and then passing through Lera, Cazzanore until you arrive at Castello. From here we commence a reasonably arduous climb on the so-called Scalotura – a series of steps climbing up the Valle di Sorto.

Cappellina Monte

With some relief the long climb up the Scalotula ends at the Cappellina Monte with its shrine dedicated to the Madonna and Child. Here you are invited to rest awhile taking in the spectacular views south down the lake towards Como. There is also a water fountain and some thoughtful person has even left a bowl for dogs. The chapel is at a crossroads with the main path from Brunate to Monte Piatto intersecting the path up towards the Pietra Nairola.

Pietra Nairola

The Pietra Nairola is a further 400 metres from the chapel continuing the ascent from Blevio but on a less defined path than before. It is therefore a significant diversion from the main path but worth the effort when you eventually reach this extraordinary massive boulder seemingly cantilevered in suspension over the hillside. It is a national monument but I have no idea what goes to qualify the status of this erratic rather than any of the others in this area. It might possibly be due to the legends associated with it and thus its importance to the local inhabitants. It was undoubtedly a significant site for pagan ritual as evidenced by the efforts of later generations to Christianise the area through the sightings of the Virgin Mary.

The origins of the boulder have been traced to the granite mountains in the Val Masino on the northern slopes of the lower Valtellina, brought down to rest above Blevio by glaciation.

Sasso del Lupo

Lake Como viewing south from the Cappellina Monte

Descending down from the Pietra Nairola back to the Cappellina Monte, we pick up the path towards Monte Piatto. This path follows the contours around the mountainside and so comes as a pleasant change from the steep climb up the Scatotula. Not long after leaving the chapel, the path crosses a terrace with a single stone monolith at its centre and many other erratics lying like sleeping giants in the woods nearby.

The massive erratic soon appears overhanging the path offering no escape to any poor child judged sufficiently naughty or disobedient to entice the wolf from out his lair. The erratic’s dimensions are impressive – 20 metres long by 10 metres wide and 8 high. This rock is, like the Pietra Nairola and the yet to be seen Pietra Pendula, also originally from the Val Masino.

The Sasso del Lupo hanging over the path to Monte Piatto

Monte Piatto and the Pietra Pendula

With the wolf’s lair behind us, there is no further obstacle to arriving safely at Monte Piatto. This is a sizeable mountain community, where, depending on the time of year, there are two options available for eating and drinking – the Crotto Piazzaga Restaurant and the Agriturismo ‘La Casa di Alba’. I followed a circular route to take in the Pietra Pendula which passed by the gardens of the Agriturismo and on to the terrace around the church. From this terrace there is a great view of the lake looking north.

The Pietra Pendula is impressive, appearing as if a giant mushroom. The massive granite boulder rests on a pedestal of local limestone rock which has apparently been carved out to accentuate the rock’s fungal profile. Its vital statistics are 2 metres wide, 4 metres long and 3 high.

The Pietra Pendula with the initials P.P. carved The Pietra Pendula with the carved initials P.P.

The circular route returns us to the stepped path that leads down to Torno. Rather than follow this path down to the lakefront, our route follows the Via per Someana before turning left on the Via per Rasina – both of these are not roads (or ‘via’ as we may know them) but paths accessible only by foot or mountain bike.

The Via per Rasina climbs gently up above the main centre of Torno with a good view down over the town centre and the lake until reaching our original point of departure by the Cappellina del Tue.

Lake Como looking north from the terrace of the church in Monte Piatto.

Summary

Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Distance: 8.74 km

Climb: 540 metres

Descent: 550 metres

View down on to Torno from the Via per Rasina

Posted in Folklore, Itineraries, Places of interest, Walks | Tagged blevio, erratici, erratics, Folklore, Monte Piatto, Pietra Nairola, Pietra Pendula, sasso del lupo, Torno, Trovanti | Leave a comment

Lake Como’s Condottiere – The Marquis of Musso

Posted on April 28, 2023 by comocompanion

Gian Giacomo de Medici, detto Il Medeghino

Gian Giacomo De Medici was born in 1495 in Milan as the eldest son of Bernardino De Medici and Cecilia Serbelloni. His family was not related to the better known Medici of Florence. He was the eldest of Bernardino and Cecilia’s ten children.

The family background was modest. His father acted as a tax and debt collector to the Duke of Milan, Massimiliano Sforza, to whom he also owed money. When the French captured the dukedom in 1515, they imprisoned Bernardino and confiscated all his possessions leaving the family destitute. Yet by the time of Gian Giacomo’s death in 1555, he had himself become a marquis, the Serbelloni family had become ennobled, his brother had become Pope Pius IV and his sister had given birth to the future Cardinal Carlo Borromeo – all thanks to Gian Giacomo and his career as Il Medeghino, one of the most successful condottieri in the Renaissance period.

Print by Franz Hegi of a painting by Johann Jakob Wetzel published in ‘Voyage Pittoresque au Lac de Como’ in 1822.

Late Renaissance in Lombardy

Il Medeghino’s castle in Musso was fortified from the port up to where the Church of Saint Eufemia now stands. This promontory gave him a view north and south down the lake, and the fortifications made it invincible. The castle was eventually destroyed by the army of the Swiss Federation once Il Medeghino had signed a peace treaty with Francesco II Sforza in 1532.

In spite of all the artistic and scholarly achievements of the renaissance, the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries in Italy were highly unstable. This was due to the competing interests of those seeking to gain territory and control over the host of individual dukedoms and city states across the country. The major contestants were the Papacy, the French royal family, and the Spanish who also had possession of the Holy Roman Empire. Caught in this complex web of intrigues and alliances were the dukedoms themselves such as the Sforza in Milan, the Venetian republic, the Swiss Federation and the Grisons. The Grisons were not fully integrated into the Swiss Federation until the 1520s and were constantly seeking to extend their territories down the Valtellina and the Val Chiavenna so as to gain control over the top end of Lake Como. For the French or Spanish, the main prize locally was dominance over the Dukedom of Milan in the possession of the Sforzas. Lake Como was of strategic value commercially and militarily since it provided the best means for transporting troops and goods to and from Milan. The lake’s transport links were vital for trade across the Alpine passes with Germany and beyond. Local commercial rivalries between cities like Como and Torno were exacerbated by rival military alliances with the French, Swiss or Spanish. The result was almost constant warfare between the major cities on the lake with each seeking to maintain a sufficient navy to protect its commercial interests and see off their rivals. These local navies would from time to time be supplemented by troops and ships provided by either the French or Spanish depending on to whom each town had pledged allegiance. These troops would also be supplemented by mercenaries mainly recruited from Germany or the Swiss Federation – the so-called Lanzichenecchi. These were in turn supplemented by kidnapped members of the local population and the bands of brigands and pirates who profited from the overall state of anarchy.

Condottieri

Federico de Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino in a portrait by Piero della Francesca. Federico had the bridge of his nose surgically removed to restore his field of vision once he had lost his right eye in battle.

Out of this environment of constant warfare and complex allegiances emerged the figure of the condottiere – a military leader able to command an army for hire usually serving one of the major powers but often themselves connected to a dukedom or granted the control of one or more of the major renaissance cities, For example, Alessandro Sforza was a condottiere in the early fifteenth century who, while serving the Papacy, was granted the Dukedom of Milan. Federico di Montefeltro was another condottiere who gained the Dukedom of Urbino. Other famous condottieri include Cesare Borgia who supplemented his role as a cardinal and son of the Pope by retaining under military power a massive principality in Central Italy in support of the Papal States.

Il Medeghino

Il Medeghino was such a condottiere who rose from his modest background as the son of a bankrupted debt collector to become the Marquis of Musso and Count of Lecco. He maintained an iron grip over both legs of Lake Como from 1523 to 1532. He was able to control almost all of the commercial and military traffic to and from Milan and the major routes over the Alps. He was one of the last of the great condottieri in the 16th century. But his career started off as a mere but brutal delinquent in the pay of the Dukedom of Milan as a hired assassin.

This view from within the Giardino del Merlo in what would have been inside Il Medeghino’s castle at Musso shows how he had vision of any of the Grisons’ ships descending from the Val Chiavenna or Valtellina.

As a mere delinquent, Il Medeghino killed his first victim at the age of sixteen. He fled Milan to avoid justice and joined up with one of the largest bands of pirates and kidnappers operating on Lake Como under the leadership of a Giovanni il Matto (Giovanni the Mad). Here he gained an early apprenticeship in how to exploit the anarchy arising from the continual conflicts between the French, the Spanish, the Swiss Federation and the Grisons. Giovanni il Matto was the son of Antonio il Matto. Antonio had established his base for piracy in Dongo, a town just beyond Musso on the western shore towards the top end of the lake. Pirates operated both from Dongo and Sala Comacina menacing commercial traffic on the lake and raiding lakeside towns to supplement their income by demanding ransoms for kidnapped prisoners. They were able to flourish by allying themselves whenever it suited with any one of the rival armies. Antonio il Matto was killed in September 1517 but piracy continued under his son, Giovanni who harassed the towns of the Tre Pievi for a further two years, aided by a still young Il Medeghino.

Note: The Tre Pievi was a semi-independent territory covering the top end of the lake with Gravedona, Dongo and Sorico in particular. It was established as a result of the Treaty of Constance in 1183 between Federico Barbarossa and the Lombardy League. It existed for a further 400 years.

Francesco II Sforza, the Duke of Milan and the last in the Sforza line.

In 1521, Giovanni il Matto was appointed Prefect of Lake Como by Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, who then commanded him to take over control of the city of Como. Como was allied to the French whilst the Duchy of Milan was allied to the Spanish. Giovanni led his fleet of pirates incorporating some German mercenaries provided by Sforza to land in Borgo Vico. Here he waited in the hope that the Rusca faction (anti-French) within the city might aid his assault. However the French Governor repulsed Giovanni and his pirates with his own mixed army of Swiss mercenaries, Lombardy bandits and a few Como residents. Giovanni was captured and beheaded along with his brother in Griante just north of Cadenabbia on the westerns shores of the lake.

Il Medeghino had learnt a lot from these early years of apprenticeship both in terms of military strategy and political acumen. He re-allied himself with the Sforzas who, in 1524, granted him the Signoria of Musso in perpetuity. It is suggested that he tricked his way into gaining control of Musso by substituting the sealed letter from Sforza which he had been entrusted to deliver to the castle’s governor. In any event, he quickly set to optimising the defences of the castle and its port and building up his fleet of ships. When also granted the Signoria of Lecco, he had control of both legs of the lake and, as importantly, access to the outlet of the River Adda which provided a navigable link towards Milan. He took on the French and the Grisons causing them to retreat back up the Valtellina and the Val Chiavenna. As his power and control of his territory increased, he became increasingly independent of any of the major powers. At one stage, with the Grisons seeking peace with Milan, he even captured their ambassadors on their return from peace negotiations and held them to ransom.

Fresco in the Castello Medicea in Melegnano depicting a Grisons attack on Il Medeghino’s Castle of Musso.

By 1525, Il Medeghino had become an out and out pirate freely operating from Musso in capturing ships, seizing their merchandise, imprisoning their passengers whether fellow nationals or foreigners and putting their freedom up for ransom. He rebuilt the tower at Olonio with its command over the mouths of the Val Chiavenna and Valtellina and extracted duty on all goods that passed. He extracted the price of 500 gold ducats (scudi) from the Grisons just to grant them a licence to trade. As an example of his ransom income, he is said to have obtained 4,000 gold ‘scudi’ as a ransom for a noble Milanese called Girolamo da Carcano. (An average yearly income at the time has been estimated as from about 10 to 15 scudi).

The First Musso War

Looking south from the Castle of Musso, Il Medghino would have had ample warning of any ships coming up from Como or Lecco.

When the Spanish attacked his castle and port in Musso, Il Medeghino put a blockade on Como causing many of its citizens to flee to Mendrisio or Lugano. He also blocked all traffic at Lecco. The Spanish were forced into peace negotiations which were finalised at the Treaty of Pioltello on the 31st of March 1528. Under the terms of this treaty il Medeghino was granted total control of the lake except for a 10 mile zone around Como, but including Menaggio, the Tre Pievi, Valsassina, and Lecco as far down as the bridge across the Adda. Inland he was granted control of the Valmadrera, Vallassina, and the castle of Monguzzo. On Lake Lugano he was given Osteno and Porlezza. In exchange he promised to allow merchants free access across all his territories as previously granted to the Grisons. Il Medeghino now dealt directly with the Spanish Holy Roman Empire without reference to their other ally, Francesco II Sforza and the Dukedom of Milan. The castle in Monguzzo became his own personal prison and, perhaps to reflect the commercial value of his Musso empire, he now coined his own currency. He himself became the entirely independent Marquis of Musso and Count of Lecco.

The shaded areas show the territory under Il Medeghino’s control following the Treaty of Pioltello.

But all good things come to an end, and Il Medeghino’s fortunes changed following the Treaty of Cambrai on August 3rd 1529. This treaty temporarily ended war between France and the Holy Roman Empire and, as a result, confirmed Spanish control over the Sforza’s Duchy of Milan. Charles V, the Spanish king, now wanted to return Il Medeghino’s fortress at Musso into Sforza hands. Il Medeghino did not accept this and resisted all attempts by the Milanese to seize control over his dominion over Lake Como. The pressure from the Sforzas built up even further following their signing of an alliance with the Grisons and the Swiss Federation in March 1531.

The five ranks of rowers in a quinquereme following a Roman design.

Together they dismantled Il Medeghino’s tower at Olonio with him having been branded a rebel by the Sforzas. His response was to set out building up his troops and his navy ravishing the lakeside towns to gather in food and capture men to row his growing fleet. He now had twenty two boats in his fleet but supplemented these by building some additional quinquereme ships based on the Roman design with their five levels of rowers. He did not wait to be attacked by the fleet being put together by the Sforzas in Como but went immediately on the offensive.

The Second Musso War

As Il Medeghino’s relationship with Francesco II Sforza worsened, so did that with the Grisons. Partially this was due to the Grisons adopting protestantism in 1525 and Il Medeghino’s previous military support alongside his brother, the future Pope Pius IV, to the catholic cantons within the Swiss Federation. But the murder of the Grison’s ambassador Martino Bovellini, captured by Il Medeghino’s men in Cantù on 3rd March 1531 on his return from Milan, hastened the conflict. This provocation was swiftly followed by Il Medeghino’s attack up the Valtellina with a force of mercenaries and Spanish soldiers left without employment following the Treaty of Cambrai. Il Medeghino won a conclusive victory against the Grisons at Morbegno in the Valtellina on the 23rd march 1531. The Grisons lost between 300 to 500 men at the cost of a mere couple of Il Medeghino’s soldiers.

Another of Il Medeghino’s naval battles off the coast of Bellagio and Varenna, in the Castello Medicea at Melegnano.

The protestant forces in the Swiss cantons and the Grisons, with some assistance from the Spanish in preventing Il Medeghino from replenishing his supply of mercenaries, replied by attacking and seizing Porlezza. They were prepared to assist Francesco II Sforza on the condition that the Duchy ceded all claims to the Val Chiavenna and the Valtellina to the Grisons. The Duchy then took to the offensive against Il Medeghino’s castle in Monguzzo.

‘Lanzichenecchi were Swiss mercenaries employed by all sides in the Renaissance conflicts. While the Spanish did not intervene directly in the Second Musso War, they did prevent Il Medeghino refreshing his numbers of mercenaries from Switzerland.

While the war on land was not going well for Il Medeghino, he had more success on water. His fleet continued to outmanoeuvre that of the Duchy of Milan. The Swiss fleet, attempting to blockade Musso, also suffered losses from a series of successful sorties. The Grisons and the Duchy then tried to seize control of Lecco and break Il Medeghino’s links between that city and his base in Musso. Over the two days of the naval battle of Lecco, Il Medeghino captured the Duchy’s colonel, Alessandro Gonzaga and caused Gonzaga’s 1200 soldiers to flee. The following day he forced the retreat of the entire Grisons contingent while fighting with a mere 100 men.

But his luck did not hold out when on 13th February 1532, his brother Giovanni Angelo de’Medici, the future pope Pius IV, was captured. To secure his brother’s release, Il Medeghino entered negotiations with Francesco II Sforza.

From Marquis of Musso to Marquis of Melegnano

Il Medeghino negotiated an honourable and favourable peace with Milan. He agreed to cede all his territory on and around Lake Como including his castle in Musso. In exchange he was made the Marquis of Melegnano, a small town to the south east of Milan. He was also awarded the sum of 35,000 scudi and an annual income for life of 1000 scudi and a total amnesty from any legal action against either himself or his followers. The Swiss destroyed the castle at Musso and extracted a promise from Francesco Sforza that the Milanese would never re-occupy or rebuild it.

The Castello Mediceo in Melegnano

Il Medeghino occupied the castle in Melegnano, now known as Castello Medicea, and commissioned its redecoration with a series of frescoes that included scenes from some of his famous battles such as those of Musso and Lecco.

The frescoes in the Castello Mediceo have been recently restored.

Il Medeghino continued his career in Piedmont for a number of years as one of the most successful condottiere of the 16th century. His sister Margherita married Count Gilberto Borromeo and she had a son who went on to become the sanctified Cardinal Carlo Borromeo. His cousin Gabrio Serbelloni was ennobled and his brother went on to become Pope. It was this brother who commissioned a massive sepulchre designed by Leone Leoni in Milan’s cathedral for Il Medeghino on his death in 1555. Conversely Francesco II Sforza had died much earlier in 1535 without heirs and so brought to a close the era of the Milanese Sforzas.

The tomb of Gian Giacomo de Medici ‘Il Medeghino’ in Milan’s Duomo. The sepulchre was commissioned by Il Medeghino’s brother, Pope Pius IV and designed by Leone Leoni.

Further Information

At Musso, the Museo di Musso contains a model reconstructing the castle as developed by Il Medeghino. The grounds of his castle have now been converted into a botanical park called the Giardino del Merlo. There is also an agriturismo named Il Medeghino on the road up towards the Chiesa Sant Eufemia. There is even a boat hire company calling itself Il Medeghino but based in Como. It and many other boat hire companies are listed at Boat Hire and Water Taxis

The Church of Saint Eufemia in the grounds of the old Castle of Musso

At Dongo, I can highly recommend the Museo della Fine della Guerra relating the last days of the war and the historic events that occurred in Dongo at the time including the capture of Mussolini and the execution of the fascist leaders on the Dongo lakefront. The audio commentary is available in a variety of languages and includes some fascinating first hand accounts of those last days by some of the participating local residents and partisans including Michele Morandi (nome di guerra ‘Bill’) who personally arrested Mussolini and is also said to have participated in Il Duce’s execution in Mezzegra.

In Melegnano, the Castello Medicea, with its renovated series of frescoes depicting il Medeghino’s famous battles, is now run by FAI with opening times on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 till 18.00.

One of the coins issued by Il Medeghino from the Musso mint.

Posted in History, Lake, People, Places of interest | Tagged Condottieri, Dongo, Francesco Sforza, Giardino del Merlo, Giovanni Il Matto, Grisons, History, Il Medeghino, Lake Como, Late Lombardy Renaissance, Melegnano, Musso, Naval battles, Quinquereme, Tre Pievi | Leave a comment

Como’s Manifesto for Wellbeing

Posted on April 10, 2023 by comocompanion

The WOHASU Summit occupied the Teatro Sociale for three days last March, an event which saw the launch of the Como Wellbeing Manifesto.

No doubt a short break in Como will do wonders for your wellbeing, but the major outcome of the recent World Happiness Summit held over three days in the Teatro Sociale might just result in a more long lasting effect – with global impact. The World Happiness Summit (WOHASU for short) staged its fifth year anniversary event outside of Miami for the first time. Running from Friday March 24th it filled the auditorium and galleries of the Teatro Sociale for three days. Supplementary events were held in the Villa Olmo, the Tempio Voltiano and the Hotel Palace.

Karen Guggenheim, founder of WOHASU

WOHASU was founded by Karen Guggenheim, a Californian with relentless energy and positive determination. Her brief biography states she is ‘a pioneer in the global happiness movement, a leader in promoting the science behind wellbeing to an international audience, and a motivational speaker inspiring people about how to grow post trauma and rebuild a life focused on passion, purpose, and happiness.’ Over the years she has ensured this annual event attracts leading academics, psychologists, business consultants and others to contribute to how we can place the importance and achievement of happiness (or wellbeing if you prefer the term) above personal goals such as achieving wealth or social advancement and supplanting business objectives limited to increasing shareholder value. The list of international contributors to this summit was impressive; their presentations covering both theory and practise ranged from personal to social well-being, even extending out to planetary happiness! Both presenters, coaches, volunteers and the hundreds of participants from all over the globe seemed, above all, to be very happy visiting Como and experiencing this significant event.

The stalls, boxes and gallery of the Teatro Sociale were full throughout the three days of the summit.

Why did WOHASU come to Como?

Villa Olmo where the pre-summit dinner was hosted by WOHASU for its speakers, sponsors and selected guests.

Como is a beautiful city within a stunning natural setting. Awareness of its charms increases year by year judging by the number of visitors to the city and the lake, and up till now it has been able to meet the needs and expectations of its guests. But for this summit, the city had to show a commitment to the values of WOHASU for it to become the location of choice for 2023. And that commitment came in the form of its major sponsor, DHL Express and more precisely, its European CEO, Alberto Nobis.

Alberto Nobis, CEO of DHL Express Europe relating his personal experiences as a manager which have come to convince him of the need and benefits of happiness in the workplace.

Alberto lives in nearby Brunate, and, with pride in DHL’s achievement of being designated ‘World’s Best Workplace’ in 2019, and a strong personal commitment to making work a happy place born out from his own bitter experience, he was determined to bring the summit to his adopted city. Fortunately his vision was shared by our recently elected mayor, Alessandro Rapinese, who granted use of the Teatro Sociale for the 3 day event – the first time the theatre had hosted a multi-day conference of this sort. Alessandro also extended a warm welcome in an address at the start of the conference which included his own aphorism that happiness stems from ‘not what you have but how you think’. Bravo Signor Sindaco!

Alessandro Rapinese, Mayor of Como seen showing a group of visitors around the town hall, Palazzo Cernezzi.

The Manifesto

Versailles outside of Paris has gone down in history for the signing of the treaty following the First World War in 1919. Utrecht in Holland is likewise known for the treaty in 1713 ending the War of Spanish Succession. Let’s hope Como goes down in history for the declaration of the Como Well-being Manifesto of 2023, presented at WOHASU by Lord Richard Layard, a Labour peer in the UK’s second parliamentary chamber, the House of Lords. Under the slogan ‘Let’s put wellbeing first’ he presented this manifesto as a call to action to influence politicians, educationalists, businessmen and us as individuals to ‘reappraise the goal of our society… the goal should be people’s wellbeing – their enjoyment of life, their sense of satisfaction and of fulfilment.’ The appeal was made to gather as many signatories to the manifesto so as to influence policy makers, whether in government, education or business, to take wellbeing more seriously and to take its measurement as the primary indication of their institution’s success.

Richard Layard presenting the Como Wellbeing Manifesto.

Science and Measurement

It was interesting to note that many speakers took care to underline the academic credibility of their subject firstly by describing the study of wellbeing as a science and as a consequence, emphasising the importance of the collection and analysis of related data. Prior to this summit, the 10th annual edition of the World Happiness (unrelated to WOHASU) Report was published applying measurement criteria that have by now gained academic acceptance. This report ranks countries according to the overall stated happiness of their population. Finland headed the list in 2020 whilst Afghanistan and Lebanon were deemed to host the least happy populations.

The Happy Planet Index adds the ecological footprint to its calculation and ranking of countries for wellbeing in that it shows levels of efficiency in producing good lives.

The criteria adopted by the World Happiness Report does not take into account the ecological health of the country – in other words, how happy is their corner of the planet. This aspect is however incorporated into the so-called Happy Planet Index which was presented at the summit by its founder, Dr. Nic Marks.

Dr. Nic Marks

This index is calculated using standard data and applying the following simple formula. Take the measure of a country’s wellbeing and multiply it by the country’s average life expectancy and then divide this total by the country’s ecological footprint. Some interesting results arise form this formula with the predominance of Scandinavia now surpassed by Central and South America with Costa Rica heading the list. Latest data is from 2019 and this is their headline summary: ‘Notably, Central and South America dominate the Happy Planet Index, with 8 of the top 10 highest ranking countries from the region. However, there has been a decline in wellbeing in several countries in South America, including Brazil.’ Nic Marks summarises his index as revealing how efficient different countries are in producing good lives.

Out of interest, UK came 14th in 2019 ahead of all other European countries except for Switzerland, but I feel confident in saying that it will by now have gone right down the table due to recent data showing a decline in life expectancy and issues over public health provision. Italy comes in at 40th just above Sweden brought down in spite of good life expectancy and wellbeing by a low score for its ecological footprint. Como’s immediate neighbour, Switzerland, comes very high in the table at 4, attributable perhaps to its proximity to Como!

Volunteers managing the registration of visitors and speakers to the summit.

Personal Happiness

“Smile please, we are happy!”

I was lucky to be selected to volunteer at the summit allowing me not only to attend presentations when not actively required to help but also to make the acquaintance of many of the 70 or so other volunteers from all over the globe. There was a particularly large contingent of Ukrainian volunteers, many of whom as women had immigrated out to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary or Germany. We all had our own specific areas of interest within the broad scope of happiness studies with many of my Ukrainian colleagues seeking methods and strategies to reinstate positivity and hope amongst their fellow citizens brought down by the anxiety for family and friends or indeed by the trauma of wartime brutality. They all seemed to display immense resilience and also joy in their endeavour to find ways to alleviate their own and others anxieties. I can only wish them well.

For my part I was so grateful to hear the message that business or government must turn away from a single-minded obsession with growth. After all, isn’t it this which has led our planet to the brink of self-destruction, and isn’t the major cause of stress and anxiety in work attributable to the relentless desire to increase shareholder, rather than stakeholder, value?

Conclusion

It is beyond me to provide a full account of this three day event but I hope I have managed to convey some degree of its significance, the quality and variety of its speakers and the positive atmosphere generated amongst its volunteers and participants. It was thanks in great part to Alberto Nobis that WOHASU, on deciding to cross the Atlantic from Miami, landed in Como this year. I expect that another European or possibly South American country will be selected for next year’s event. However Como may leave a lasting legacy if we all sign and support the Como Wellbeing Manifesto. See the link below.

And let’s give the last word to the concluding paragraph of that manifesto which states:

‘We can build a happier world – with sustainable wellbeing and much less misery. But we will only do it if that is really our objective. So let’s measure wellbeing. And let’s make it the objective of every organisation and every individual. There could be no more inspiring purpose for our lives.’

Lord Richard Layard

And as a postscript, let’s recall the words of the ex-Head of the UK Civil Service, Gus O’Donnell when he remodelled Karl Marx’s memorable call to action in stating ‘ you have nothing to lose but your misery.’

Further Information

More information on WOHASU can be found online at https://worldhappinesssummit.com/

Details of the World Happiness Report and Index are at https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2022/

The Happy Planet Index is at https://happyplanetindex.org/

If you have in any way been prompted to consider the issue of happiness and wellbeing do visit to review and hopefully sign the Como Wellbeing Manifesto by going to https://worldhappinesssummit.com/como-wellbeing-manifesto/

Backstage at WOHASU – making it all work.

Posted in Culture, Events, People, Politics, Sustainability, Uncategorized | Tagged Alberto Nobis, Como, Conferences, Culture, DHL Express, Happiness, Lake Como, Planet Index, Richard Layard, Teatro Sociale, tourism, Wellbeing, WOHASU, World HAppiness | Leave a comment

Como’s Famous Women: The wartime exploits of Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri

Posted on March 14, 2023 by comocompanion

This article on Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri in part commemorates International Women’s Day (March 8th), but also is intended to throw light on someone who needs to be counted within the pantheon of Como’s famous women.

As we are currently witnessing in Ukraine, warfare inflicts a set of extreme moral and physical pressures which bring out the best and the worst in humanity, as during the war initiated by the Mussolini dictatorship which developed into the civil war following the nazi occupation of Northern Italy from September 1943. Ginevra was just one of those heroines of the resistance movement in Como who displayed immense physical courage and total commitment at great personal risk to helping those declared enemies of the state. She was however perhaps unique in her ability to play on many of the stereotypes of class and gender to stay safe while taking extraordinary risks for the benefit of others.

Ginevra was born in to a well-to-do liberal, free-thinking family. Her father, a renowned local socialist politician, had once declared himself to be ‘an anti-fascist before even fascists existed.’ Her mother played an active part in the local Red Cross aiding those injured in the First World War who, on the occasion of the return of the wounded from the front line, turned the family home into a veritable factory for producing bandages and sheets. Ginevra duly inherited her sense of duty, energy and generosity as well as her practical sense and organisational capacity.

Organisational Ability

Headquarters of the Italian Red Cross in Como

When Italy entered the 2nd World War in 1940, Ginevra had noted how the soldiers sent off to fight in Albania and later to Russia ‘left with few clothes, scarce equipment and above all, without any enthusiasm.’ She set about organising the collection of unused garments and reworking them into clothing for the soldiers. This initiative required the enrolment of many of her friends and acquaintances amongst whom she would later take the lead in organising safe passage for those seeking safety across the border in Switzerland. For now she needed to ensure her gesture of charity was not immediately blocked by the local fascist administration. This she achieved by first obtaining the approval of the local military garrison and the Red Cross. All the objections of the fascist party were thus neutralised, much as they disliked an initiative of this sort emanating from the party’s political opponents or the fact that it highlighted how the newly enlisted troops were so badly equipped.

Early meeting of the Committee for National Liberation North Italy (CLNAI). Apart from the two women in the foreground, all other members of this opposition coalition against the nazifascists were men. While their work of political and military co-ordination was vital to the liberation movement, Ginevra preferred direct action.

The appearance of political naivety alongside acute diplomatic sense formed an essential part of survival for those members of the social elite like Ginevra who operated visibly against the state’s aims and values. Within the framework of her anti-fascism, she remained ideologically apolitical, averse to any form of committee work but resolutely committed to action. Although she went on to perform countless errands in support of the opposition Committee for National Liberation (CLN), she never aligned herself explicitly to any of the political groups within it. What is more, she never took part in any committee deliberations preferring always actions over words.

Action

Life was hard enough under the fascist dictatorship for progressives. It became harder still for Jews following the passing of the Racial Laws in 1938, and for everyone else once Mussolini decided to declare war on France and Britain in 1940. Yet still worse was to come following the armistice on September 8th 1943 when the Germans occupied Northern Italy reinstating Mussolini as head of a puppet republican fascist government. From then on, all Jews no matter what their nationality feared for their lives and the nazifascists tyrannised all political opponents. Yet whatever steps they took to increase repression only caused more civilians to aid the opposition either by joining the partisan groups, supporting them or undertaking strikes and acts of sabotage within the workplace.

One of the more remote official border crossings from Maslianico into Switzerland. In the early days of the Nazi occupation such crossings were supervised by the Guardia di Finanza who assisted many escapees.

Ginevra’s very first patriotic act took place on the eve of the nazifascist occupation back in September 1943. She organised a group of friends to break into the Carabinieri barracks on Via Lambertenghi and capture all the arms held there. She then managed the distribution of these arms from her lodgings on Via Rubini to the nascent partisan bands being set up in Moltrasio and at the far end of the lake in Domaso. From this moment on, Ginevra was totally committed in many different ways to supporting the resistance movement and in helping those seeking to escape across the border into Switzerland to safety. She became one of the principal ‘go to’ contacts in Como for those Jews, political opponents, allied ex-prisoners of war or men avoiding draft into the fascist militia, all seeking safety over the border in Switzerland. Her lodgings on Via Rubini became a clearing house for hundreds fleeing out of Italy and for receiving those couriers from Switzerland with money and documents supporting the opposition political parties (CLN) and the partisan bands.

Staffetta

Conventional warfare is predominantly conducted by men but clandestine partisan warfare requires the active support of the local civilian population. It has been estimated that up to five civilians were needed to keep a single partisan in active combat. And most of that civilian group was made up of women, particularly those who took on the dangerous work of a ‘staffetta’.

A staffetta would typically travel around the countryside by bike conveying messages from one group to another. This photo is of the partisan Caterina Rigoni Boer.

The main role of a staffetta was to maintain communication between the different partisan groups. They would convey messages allowing different bands to communicate with each other. They also delivered food, clothing, as well as money and arms. Without them, the individual bands hiding out in isolation from each other in the mountains would have no knowledge of what was happening in the towns and cities, or be able to receive orders or convey reports to or from the political opposition or their military coordinators.

Women undertook this vital role in linking and supporting the partisan bands because they were not so likely to be challenged or mistrusted as they moved around. The nazifascist mentality was traditional and reactionary in terms of the role they saw for women even in conflict. The partisans took immediate advantage of this knowing full well that a young woman cycling from village to village with vital messages for band leaders or hiding a couple of automatic pistols would appear more innocent than a lone man. The ‘staffette’ were quite prepared to play up to whatever stereotype or deploy so-called feminine wiles to circumvent close questioning or inspection at any of the many control points. Yet if caught their fate was the same as that for any active partisan, namely imprisonment and torture and a high risk of summary execution ‘in seeking to escape’.

Ginevra undertook trips from Como to Milan up to three times a week as a staffetta carrying arms and money brought over from the Swiss border for delivery to the heads of the patriot movement. In her own words:

I made trips to Milan at least three times a week, When I went to Milan, I became very skilled at escaping, because they always followed me … In fact, Saletta admitted that for two years they had followed me. In Milan because of the bombing there were gaps between one house and another, with low walls…. I went in one way and I went out the other, went to the hairdresser where there was another exit and they stayed there for maybe four hours waiting to pick me up when I had already returned back to Como, so to speak. I had learned to jump on the trolleybus, on the trams, just when the doors close… leaving my followers behind. ‘
From an interview with Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri published in La Memoria che resiste, Como 1988.

(Domenico Saletta was the much feared Vice-Commander of the Como Police).

On public transport she would appear to be a regular middle-class lady sat patiently knitting whilst inside her knitting bag she concealed much-need currency from Switzerland or even possibly two or three automatic pistols.

Milan suffered from continual massive allied bombing raids which were particularly severe throughout August 1943

But her luck ran out on August 8th 1944 when she was arrested by the Vice-Commander of the local police, Domenico Saletta and incarcerated in Como’s San Donnino prison. Her prospects were bleak. Clearly Saletta was aware of her activities in supporting escapees and delivering money and arms to the CLN in Milan but Ginevra had some luck on her side and the help of an unusual guardian angel, General Hans Leyers. Leyers was Albert Speer’s representative in Italy with overall responsibility for directing Northern Italian industry towards the production of arms and wartime materials for the German economy. Ginevra was Hans Leyers’ neighbour in Via Rubini.

Villa Rosasco

Ginevra’s family home had been burnt down in a fascist arson attack prior to the Nazi occupation. She took up residence next door to the sumptuous Villa Rosasco on Via Rubini. This villa had been commandeered from the local silk magnate Eugenio Rosasco who, as an ardent ant-fascist, had fled to Switzerland. His villa was subsequently occupied by General Leyers and his close staff. Leyers’ personal commitment to nazism is unclear but his personal secretary, Bayerlee, was known by the CLN as a passive supporter of the patriot cause. He and Ginevra had worked out a way of signalling when it was safe for Bayerlee to join her to listen to Radio London, an act which was itself a capital offence. For whatever motive, Hans Leyers had granted Ginevra a permit that allowed her to travel for the most part unchallenged. On learning of her imprisonment in San Donnino prison, Leyers ordered Saletta to release her which he duly did.

No sooner was Ginevra back at home than she was rearrested but this time by the German SS and not the local police. Clearly Saletta had decided to sidestep the local SS division whom he saw as untrustworthy in this instant by applying to the SS group in Monza where Ginevra was imprisoned and submitted to repeated interrogation.

Keeping Up Appearances

The photo of Ginevra reveals a well-groomed, affluent yet unremarkable middle class lady with her restrained string of pearls – not the typical image of a revolutionary that her interrogators would have had in mind. Ginevra knew how to play up to such class stereotypes and the latent snobbery of her nazifascist persecutors. She insisted on ensuring she looked her best for every interrogation she faced. She had particularly asked her family to send down to her prison in Monza a chiffon blouse and some smart coloured shoes and, so dressed with make up and a dab of perfume, she courageously faced each interview. All to good effect since her interrogators soon began to doubt her links to the resistance and granted her extra comforts within her confinement. But it was the unexpected help of the SS group’s Italian interpreter that allowed her to escape and return to Como. Domenico Saletta was later to exclaim that Ginevra had even managed to fool the Germans.

Who Dares Wins

The super-macho UK special services regiment, the SAS, has the motto ‘Who Dares Wins’ and the same phrase applies equally to Ginevra. On one of her missions travelling by train from Milan to Turin which had been delayed by various air raids, she arrived after curfew with two suitcases containing money, arms and documents intended for her husband’s partisan unit in Piedmont. Playing on her appearance of bourgeois respectability, she approached the fascist militia guarding the station asking them to escort her to a nearby hotel. The gallant militia duly accompanied her carrying the two cases on her behalf.

The wire fence marks the Italian Swiss border above Maslianico on the side of Monte Bisbino with a now disused guard hut on the Italian side. Escapees were led to areas such as this where they sought safety through gaps in the wire fencing. This form of escape would not be suitable for a family travelling with a new-born child.

On another occasion she had been asked to help a young Jewish mother with her son and baby escape to safety across the Swiss border. The mother had been arrested but put into the care of the nunnery in Via Borgovico because of her children. The nuns had called on Ginevra to arrange their escape before the authorities came back to deport them to a death camp. The young baby meant that it was too dangerous for Ginevra to use one of her normal clandestine crossings. The only option open to her was to arrange their transfer to a remote inn in the Piedmont Alps where they could wait out the end of the war. But she needed transport with all private cars requisitioned and fuel strictly rationed. The only solution was to ask the local carabinieri to help her. She knew that either the Lieutenant or the Captain were partisan sympathisers and known collaborators with the CLN. But she did not know which. She went to the Carabinieri barracks and asked to see the Lieutenant but judged by his appearance and manner that he was unlikely to be the partisan sympathiser. So she then asked to talk to the captain and without hesitation asked if he would help her in arranging the escape of the Jewish family. If she made the wrong choice she would face immediate arrest and possible execution. Fortunately her instinct proved correct and Captain Perone provided the transport to Piedmont. The family was saved with all three members surviving the war.

Righteous Among the Nations

Villa Gallia, one of the villas along the lakeside passeggiata leading to Villa Olmo. It is now the headquarter site for the Province of Como.

On 12th January 2005, the Israeli Ambassador to Italy, Shai Cohen, posthumously awarded Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri the title of ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ – an honour granted by the Israeli state to those non-Jews who risked their own lives to save Jews from the holocaust. The award was given for her actions in saving the mother, Perla Rosemberg and her two sons, Vittorio and Maurizio, as described above. The elder brother Vittorio was thirteen at the time of the escape. He gave the following testimony at the ceremony held in Villa Gallia describing what happened after the family’s arrest in Menaggio:

It was the 8th January 1944 when we were transferred to Como. We were placed in an institution (the nunnery on Via Borgovico) and on 3rd April a Red Cross nurse (Ginevra) came to visit us. Firstly she took away my younger brother Maurizio on the pretence that he had an infectious illness. The next day we found the key in the door to the main entrance. We managed to escape also thanks to the help of a captain in the carabinieri and we reached Settimo Torinese where Ugo Moglia provided us with a safe hiding place.

The Righteous Among the Nations Award

Conclusion

The second page of Ginevra’s official partisan certificate (AMG) which cites up to seven of her clandestine activities between the 8th September 1943 and the liberation of Como on April 28th 1945.

After the liberation of Northern Italy in April 1945 Ginevra, once reunited with her husband, continued her work with the Red Cross and focused more attention on her growing family. The gradual return to normality caused many that had fought in the resistance, both men and women, to downplay the risks and responsibilities shouldered during the liberation struggle. Ginevra’s outward appearance of a middle-aged, opulent member of the bourgeoisie belied the steely force of her character and her readiness to risk her own life for the sake of others in less fortunate circumstances. Her importance in the liberation struggle was easily overlooked.

The significance of her effort during the war extended way beyond her individual acts of courage and altruism due to the leadership and inspiration she gave to many of her friends and acquaintances. They followed her lead in helping others. It is perhaps a natural instinct to want to put the war years behind us but we should at least try to preserve the memory of those who still maintained the highest standards of humanity during those barbarous years. Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri was definitely one of those.

Sources

Roberta Cairoli, Nessuno mi ha fermata, Nodo Libri 2006

Coppeno, G. Como dalla dittatura alla libertà, Como 1989

Posted in History, People, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged Casa Bianca, Como, Ginevra Bedetti Masciadri, History, Maslianico, partisans, Rosemberg, staffetta, Villa Gallia, Villa Rosasco | Leave a comment

Lake Como’s Wild Pack of Wolves

Posted on February 14, 2023 by comocompanion

Monte Berlinghera, a remote area in the Alto Lago (High Lake) within the territory of Lake Como’s longest established pack of wolves.

Two years ago in February 2021, we published an article entitled ‘Lake Como’s Bears, Wolves and Werewolves’. This reported on the sightings of bears and wolves at the northern end of the lake, and the presence of some inexplicable tracks that some had fancifully speculated as those of a werewolf. Leaving werewolves (no further sightings) and bears aside for now, it seems appropriate to report on the current status of our wolves and identify if the extraordinary phenomenon of the Covid lock-down has had any impact on their distribution. In brief we are now confident in claiming that Lake Como hosts at least one well-established wild wolf-pack. There may also be a previously unrecorded pack inhabiting the Valsolda to the north of Porlezza. In addition, there have been some occasional sightings of lone wolves elsewhere in the province.

Where are our wolves?

Firstly we must admit that the entire Lombardy region hosts considerably fewer wolves along its Alpine borders than those in the neighbouring regions of Piedmont, Liguria, Trento and Emilio Romagna. The chart issued below by the Life Wolf Alps project clearly shows this.

The distribution of wolves in Northern Italy. The red pixels record documented presence with dark green spots for packs and light green for couples. The highest wolf distribution is along the Piedmontese and Ligurian Alps.

The following chart shows the four established wolf packs in Lombardy.

Bears in Lombardy.

The survey published in February 2021 identified two individual wolves in the pack based in the Province of Sondrio around Aprica and Teglio. The largest pack of seven wolves is based in the Province of Brescia around Ponte Legno. Right in the south of the region there were three wolves in the pack based around Verretto in the Province of Pavia. Finally, our pack based around the north west end of the lake (Alto Lario) consisted of three individuals.

This wolf was seen at the Bocchetta di Germasino and he may be responsible for the carcass of a sheep found in Livo and reported in the local newspaper La Provincia last December.

A sighting of a wolf, or any evidence of their presence still receives immediate interest in the local media. From newspaper reports we can establish more precise locations for the pack in the Alto Lago. All the sightings marked below were in remote mountainous areas inland from the lake apart from the fourth. The Number 4 marks the spot where a couple of motorists saw three wolves crossing the state highway 36 – the main valley road leading to Chiavenna. The sighting of the three wolves was reported in Il Giorno di Lecco on 6th March 2022 (https://www.ilgiorno.it/lecco/cronaca/lupi-statale-36-1.7435486) and included film of the wolves caught on camera by one of the motorists. The newspaper since reported this brief video had gone ‘viral’.

The established wolf pack roams within the area to the north and north west of the lake and extends across the border into Switzerland. The sights numbered 1 to 6 mark where wolves have been seen over the last twelve months. The location marked 7, at the head of the Valsolda and across the Swiss border in the Val Colla is an entirely new sighting from last December of two adults and three wolf cubs.

The first location (1) is the Valle Albano, the exact location where the presence of wolves was originally reported in February 2021. All the sightings in the Alto Lario cluster are of the same pack which consists of three adults as reported by the Life Wolf Alps project. However the sighting number 2 in the mountains around Vercana talks of a pack of four adults. The sighting was reported in QuiComo on 13th March 2022 and on 7th March in La Provincia.

Image captured of two wolves seen in Vercana and reported in La Provincia on 7th March 2022.

The article in La Provincia states how this is the same pack seen in locations 5 (Albonico) and 6 (Monte Berlinghera in the Comune of Samolaco). In December 2022 a sheep’s carcass was found in location 3 showing the typical signs of being torn apart by a wolf. Other sheep have also gone missing in the same area.

The three cubs estimated to be between three and four months old pictured in the Val Colla across the border from the Valsolda in Switzerland.

The Valsolda runs north from the shores of Lake Lugano to the west of Porlezza running close to the Swiss border and the Val Colla. What may be a previously unknown pack was identified there (Number 7 on the map above) and reported in La Provincia on the 13th September 2022. The Swiss UCP (Ufficio della Caccia e della Pesca) confirmed the presence of a pack consisting of two adult wolves and three cubs. The pack had been caught on hidden mini-cameras placed in the Val Colla within a short distance of the Italian border.

The effect of lock-down

Whilst all the sightings mentioned previously were in remote areas, two other sightings have been made to the south of our region. One of these was in Montevecchia, a park in Brianza between Monza and Lecco. The other was near to Tradate at the southern end of the Province of Como in the Parco Regionale della Pineta di Appiano Gentile e Tradate. The suggestion is that the wolf seen in Montevecchia originated from the Alto Lario pack. However, to reach either Tradate or Montevecchia, the wolves would have had to traverse built up and well populated areas. The assumption is that lock-down gave these animals the opportunity to roam more widely than they would normally do, just as it did also for wild boar and deer. It is unlikely that these one-off sightings will result in the establishment of new packs now that lock-down restrictions have been lifted.

Montevecchia in Brianza – an idyllic natural oasis with the slopes of its hillside terraced with vineyards.

Man and Wolf

Publicity on how to safeguard your animals

The relationship between man and wolf has always been problematic and the increased number of wolves in our area risks reigniting this time-honoured conflict. The main concern is for the safety of the flocks of sheep kept on the alpine pastures but there is also a natural worry that a wolf may attack a human. The Life Wolf Alps project runs a series of courses and advice to farmers on how to safeguard their alpine flocks. They also publish advice to the general public on how to avoid the danger of a wolf attack.

Their recommendations are the following:

If you come across a wolf, keep calm, stop and assess the situation. If the wolf becomes aware of your presence, it would normally retreat or run away.
If instead the wolf does not run away immediately, stay calm and make yourself known using a decisive tone whilst slowly retreating.
Do not under any circumstances go towards the wolf even to get a photo.
Never follow a wolf
Stay clear of the wolf’s lair
Never under any circumstances give food to a wolf. Ensure you do not leave any food behind after a barbecue, picnic or when camping.
If with a dog, the wolf might consider it as intruding on its territory or think of it as potential prey. Keep an eye on your dog or keep it on a lead.
Report to the authorities any wolves that have displayed unusual behaviour or appear particularly bold.
Report any animal that has been caught by what may have been a wolf.

Call 112 if you see a wolf that appears too friendly. You can also report any sightings of wolves to the Carabinieri or use the form on the Life Wolf Alps EU website.

The wolf packs in the Valsolda and in the Alto Lario live in remote locations but they are within areas often visited by trekkers and mountain bikers. There are two well established trekking routes in the Alto Lario that will take you into wolf territory, the Berlinghera to Alpe Gigiai or the Monti di Vercana that goes from Vercana to Trezzone before descending to the lakefront at Gera Lario. So it is possible you might come across a wolf. If so, please report any sightings to the Life WolfAlps project via this link: https://www.lifewolfalps.eu/en/report-a-sighting/

Posted in Lake, wildlife | Tagged alps, Alto Lario, Berlinghera, Como, Gera Lario, Montevecchia, nature, Tradate, Val Colla, Valsolda, Vercana, wolves | Leave a comment

Love, War and Death on Lake Como – The Tragic End of Gina Ruberti

Posted on January 26, 2023 by comocompanion

Hotel Mandarin Oriental, previously known as Hotel Casta Diva and originally known as the Villa Roccabruna

Anyone reading the brochure of the 5 star luxury hotel, Mandarin Oriental in Blevio, will remain entirely ignorant of its illustrious origins in occupying the site of the home of Giuditta Pasta – the most famous mezzo-soprano throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. The hotel was until recently known as the Casta Diva, named after the aria in Norma composed specifically for the voice of Giuditta by Vincenzo Bellini. In 1906 the current villa was built on the site of Giuditta Pasta’s home and renamed Villa Roccabruna.

Magda Brard, concert painist, wife of Enrico Wild and one time mistress of Benito Mussolini.

It was owned by the Wild family, Turin industrialists of Swiss origin. Enrico Wild and his wife, Magda Brard, a renowned concert pianist and daughter of an anarcho-syndicalist French senator, lived there during the fascist period until she was arrested at the end of the war on suspicion of collaborating with the nazifascists. Magda Brard is said to have been one of Benito Mussolini’s mistresses to whom she bore a daughter, Vanna, born in 1932, but that is all another story…

…..Since It is also most unlikely that current hotel guests are reminded of the tragedy that took place on the night of 3rd May 1946 when a famous resident of the Villa Roccabruna drowned in the lake while attempting to cross back home from Moltrasio. That person was Gina Ruberti, better known as Gina Mussolini – the dictator’s daughter-in-law.

A Fated Nation and a Fated Family

The death of Gina came at the culmination of a series of tragedies affecting the personal lives of the dictator’s family during and just after the end of the disastrous fascist regime. These tragedies started with the death of Gina’s husband, Bruno – the third born and possibly the favourite child of Benito and Rachele Mussolini.

Bruno and Benito Mussolini, taken from the cover of Time Magazine, 1935

He died in an air accident whilst piloting a test flight in Pisa on 7th August 1941. This was followed by the execution for treason of Count Galeazzo Ciano on 11th January 1944. Ciano was the husband of Mussolini’s elder daughter, Edda. She had implored her father to show some mercy to her husband, the father of three of Mussolini’s grandchildren. Edda never forgave her father and remained estranged from him for the rest of his life. Then of course there came the infamous end of Mussolini himself executed in the company of his mistress Claretta Petacci in Mezzegra on Lake Como on 28th April 1945 on the orders of the CLN (Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale) with the implicit approval of the British allies if not the Americans.

CINEMA: BRUNO, L'EROICO FIGLIO DI MUSSOLINI E LA SUA GINA

Una immagine di scena del film “Bruno e Gina” di Beppe Attene e Angelo Musciagna.

Mussolini throughout his life had been responsible for the deaths of thousands to millions of his fellow citizens or to those innocent refugees who had previously sought shelter in Italy from Nazi atrocity. He reduced his country to a state of abject poverty and devastation and created a state of civil strife that still lingers to some extent to this day. So he is hardly deserving of an iota of sympathy. However Gina’s story is one of a tragic life that came to a tragic end on Lake Como.

Bruno and Gina

Italy Bruno Mussolini weds Gina Ruberti, Rome, Italy

Mandatory Credit: Photo by AP/Shutterstock (7401399a) Aviation Captain Bruno Mussolini, 21 years old third son of Benito Mussolini, was married in the Church of St. Peter, Rome, to 21 year old Gina Ruberti. Bruno Mussolini, center, and Gina Ruberti kneel for the Nuptial Mass during the service in Rome on . On the left standing together are Benito Mussolini and Maria Ruberti, mother of the bride Italy Bruno Mussolini weds Gina Ruberti, Rome, Italy

Gina Ruberti and Bruno Mussolini were married on the 29th October 1938 in the Chiesa San Giuseppe in Rome. Bruno was 20 years old and his bride was two years older. Theirs was a full fascist wedding with Gina given away by Mussolini himself. The couple went on to honeymoon in Naples. King Vittorio Emanuele wrote the following note congratulating the dictator on the marriage of his son:

‘Dear President, the queen and I wish to tell you that we vividly share in the joy of your family and we send our best wishes to your valorous son and his gracious wife.’

Bruno was deemed ‘valorous’ because he exemplified the iconoclastic adventurous dynamism of youth so often projected in the propaganda of the time as encapsulating the spirit of the young fascist state. Aged just 13 he came third in the Circuito di Littoria motorcycle race travelling at up to 130 km per hour. He started flying lessons when 17 and was soon flying sorties in the Ethiopian War. He seemed the very personification of the futurist spirit and its political offshoot – fascism.

1918.Mario_.Sironi.New-Man.-Futurism-The-Vintagent-

Mario Sironi’s New Man, 1918. Futurism – partly a fascistic aesthetic

In the summer of 1937 he headed a squadron of fighter planes based in Palma di Majorca as part of Mussolini’s assistance to Franco in the Spanish Civil War. In 1937 he wanted to emulate the transatlantic crossing of his hero Italo Balbo and on 24th January 1938, he left Rome’s Guidonia airport for Dakar in Senegal from where he crossed over to Brazil to a hero’s welcome in Rio de Janeiro.

Italo Balbo. Bruno Mussolini emulated his hero’s transatlantic crossing.

On his return he was promoted to captain. One year later he married Gina whom he had known since he was 15 years old. However, just less than three years later and seventeen months after the birth of their daughter Marina, Bruno died aged 23 on 7th August 1941 piloting a test flight in Pisa. His widow and her father-in-law were devastated. Bruno’s early death saved his reputation from the ignominy brought about by the later years of the fascist regime but he did fully participate in the shameful invasion of Ethiopia and in the barbarity of the Spanish Civil War.

Villa Feltrinelli

Gina had always been well received within the Mussolini family and her father-in-law was genuinely fond of both her and his granddaughter, Marina. It was natural that Gina and her child would become members of the Mussolini household. They all moved to the Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano in 1943 once Hitler had reinstated his fascist partner as head of the so-called RSI (Repubblica Socialista Italiana) – a puppet state governing the Nazi occupied north of Italy.

Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano on Lake Garda – the home of Mussolini and his family when reinstated by Hitler in 1943 as the leader of Nazi occupied Northern Italy

Life in Villa Feltrinelli was not great. Firstly there was the poisonous atmosphere created by the neighbouring presence of Claretta Petacci, Mussolini’s most recent mistress. Rachele Mussolini became so distraught by her rival’s close proximity that she even attempted suicide by drinking bleach.

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Edda Mussolini and Count Galeazzo Ciano

Then, towards the end of 1943 and following the execution of Count Ciano, the household was rocked by the rupture in the relationship between Mussolini and his elder daughter, Edda. She had escaped over into Switzerland on the 9th January 1944. Here she was able to join her three children who had already transferred there but later she went to stay within the safe confines of a convent from where she wrote the following letter to Gina:

Dear Gina, thank you for your letter. I’m sure that you have been close to me in all these horrendous days that I have been and am still going through. You are lively but generous. As you know, I am shut up in a convent and the absolute lack of freedom weighs heavily on me, also because I don’t know to whom or to what I should attribute this rigour. Maybe one day it will pass and I will go back to living among people without feeling like the mangy sheep that needs to be removed from the herd. The judgement of men has always left me indifferent, but injustice burns within me. But I’m a good fighter and, although the desire to crouch in a corner and let go is sometimes irresistible, I still want to go on and stand and hold my head high. I don’t envy your family life: I know the environment too well not to envy your two rooms and a silly servant. Who knows if we will meet again one day; I hope. However things turn out, my friendship and affection for you will remain. I don’t have a fleeting memory. Hugs to you and Marina. Edda

Gina Ruberti

Later Gina was joined by her mother and father who moved from Rome to come and live on Lake Garda as the allied troops advanced up the country. They were accustomed to join the Mussolini family most evenings in the Villa Feltrinelli. But, as the war progressed life there became ever more uncomfortable with regular sorties of allied fighter planes coming over to strafe the shores of the lake.

At the point in which everyone could see the war was lost, Mussolini decided to move his entourage back to Milan and to put some distance between himself and the Nazis by organising a final redoubt in the Valtellina. He left Villa Feltrinelli for the last time on 18th April 1945 to take up residence in the Milanese Prefectura. His family including Gina and her parents duly followed on later.

Lake Como

As the allies broke through the Gothic Line and the defeat of the Axis forces was imminent, the centre of diplomatic and political activity shifted to Milan and Como. Mussolini was entertaining the idea of a final stand in the Valtellina, trying in these last days of the war to distance himself from the Nazis. His route north into the Alto Adige (Sudtirol) was discounted primarily because the Nazis had already claimed this as their territory since their invasion in September 1943. For Mussolini, the Valtellina offered a possible last stand if he could summon up enough supporters. Meanwhile neutral Switzerland was the only place where potential peace negotiations could be conducted with the allies or in contact with the Papal Nuncio in Berne. And the easiest route into Switzerland or to the Valtellina was via Como.

Villa Roccabruna – the lobby of the Hotel Mandarin Oriental.

Mussolini arrived at the Como Prefecture in Via Volta in the late evening of 25th having cut short his negotiations with Cardinal Schuster in Milan. He was accompanied by Gina Ruberti whom he recommended to seek accommodation at the house of his former mistress, Magda Brard, in the Villa Roccabruna in nearby Blevio. She, her child Marina and the nanny moved in there on the very day that Magda Brard was taken into custody by the CLN and imprisoned in Como’s San Donnino prison accused of collaborating with the Nazifascists. Her parents, Guido and Teresa Ruberti, were already accustomed to staying on Lake Como at the Villa dei Giussani in Torno along with Teresa’s brothers Vitangelo and Umberto Tangorra. Umberto’s daughter, Maria Antonietta, was already living in the Villa degli Ambrosoli in Lemna above Faggeto Lario. Mussolini’s eldest son, Vittorio, briefly took up residence in the Villa Stecchini at No. 13 Via Ferrari before seeking refuge and hiding in the infirmary of the Collegio Gallio. He would later call on the assistance of the church to use the ratline to Argentina via Genoa established by ex-Nazis and their sympathisers. Once the CLN had completely taken over from the fascist regime in the city, Gina’s parents were saved from partisan revenge by the local CLN commander Colonel Sardagna who placed them in the requisitioned home of Alfredo Degasperi in Via Fiume.

Terragni’s Casa del Fascio in Como during the Nazifascist occupation.

Gina settled down to a sad existence within the gloomy and dull atmosphere of Villa Roccabruna. The eccentric proprietor, Enrico Wild, continued holding his seances seeking communication with the spirit world and exhibiting odd behaviour like sleeping while standing up. Gina lived under a false name for some time and occupied herself by travelling most days by bicycle to and from the home of her parents in Como. She also spent hours in confessional conversation with the local priest, Don Giuseppe Conti.

Torno (on the far bank of the lake) and Moltrasio face each other at the narrow entrance to the ‘primo bacino’ leading to Blevio, Cernobbio and ultimately Como.

It was just over a year after the execution of her father-in-law when tragedy was to strike. On 3rd May 1946 Gina as usual travelled by bicycle to spend the day with her parents in Como. She returned in the evening to Villa Roccabruna to receive a visit from a friend, the Marchesa Isa De Marchi. The Marchesa was accompanied by three British soldiers stationed in Milan namely her fiance, an English captain called Tony, a Major Parker and their driver. At around 9.00pm they all took the Villa’s motorboat for a brief trip over to the Ristorante Imperialino on the other side of the lake in Moltrasio. A sharp wind was developing and so the party spent little at the restaurant to set out on their return trip to Blevio.

Moltrasio – Bar Ristorante Imperialino

However they had only got half way over the lake when the boat started taking on water through a gash in the bow which may have been caused as they had docked in Moltrasio. It was at about 11.00pm when within sight of the shore, the boat’s engine died due to the intake of water. The Marchesa and Major Parker swam out to raise the alarm and get help. Gina was the only one in the party who could not swim so Tony and the driver swam alongside to support her as they too tried to reach the shore. It appears that all three of them were swallowed up by a strong eddy and died on the spot. Isa De Marchi was the sole survivor since Major Parker died three days later in hospital from ingesting water mixed with the boat’s engine fuel. Gina’s body was recovered by fishermen that same night but the bodies of the two British soldiers were never found. (See my addendum at the end of this article for some updated information on the names and fate of the group who accompanied Gina to Moltrasio on that fateful night.)

The body of Gina Ruberti

According to Maria Antonietta Tangorra – Gina’s cousin – news of Gina’s death was brought to her the following day by Pier Bellini delle Stelle, who as the partisan commander ‘Pedro’ had been the one who took Benito Mussolini into custody in Dongo in the previous year. Colonel Sardagna broke the news to the devastated parents of Gina in Como.

Lake Como had brought nothing but ill fortune on the Ruberti family and so it must have been some relief for them to return to Rome the following November with their orphaned grandchild Marina and her nanny. If Mussolini could have had any inkling of the tragic consequences to both his country and his family of the military alliance he entered into with Germany back in 1939, he might well have listened more carefully to the misgivings of his son-in-law, Count Ciano, and not set his country and his family on such a tragic trajectory.

Further Information

Local historian Roberto Festorazzi’s book ‘Bruno e Gina Mussolini’ (published by Sperling and Kupfer, Milano 2007) was invaluable in researching this article.

A documentary entitled ‘Bruno e Gina – Amore, Guerra e Morte’ was made in 2014 but I have only found a trailer for it available on You Tube.

Addendum (10th October 2023)

I was contacted recently by the daughter of the English Major who died alongside Gina in May 1946. She was only two years old when her father died and, although she knew that he had died on Lake Como, she was unaware of the exact circumstances. However, on reading this article and realising that it referred to her father, she and her husband undertook more research primarily via the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Resulting from their research, I can now correct some of the information provided by Roberto Festorazzi. Firstly, the Major’s name was not Parker but Poole, John Shakespeare Poole. He is listed as dying on the 3rd May 1946, in other words he drowned alongside Gina and the other English officer Captain George Anthony Vernon Coffin, who was engaged to the Marchesa. The member of the party who managed to swim to shore but died later in hospital as a result of oil inhalation was the English officers’ driver, Hiripitiyage Aronsingho, originally from Sierra Leone. He served in the Royal Army Service Corps while Major Poole served in the Ordnance Corps and Captain Coffin in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Major Poole’s daughter holidayed this year on Lake Como and was able to visit Moltrasio and the Villa Roccabruna now known as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Posted in History, Lake, People | Tagged blevio, Bruno Mussolini, Como, Gina Ruberti, History, Lake Como, Mandarin Oriental, Mussolini, Villa Roccabruna | Leave a comment

The Church

Restoration

The Art Project

The Exhibitions

Challenges for the Future

Acknowledgements

Further Details

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Isola Comacina in the Early Mediaeval Era

Isola Comacina in the 10 Year War with Como

Federico Barbarossa

The Destruction of Isola Comacina

Historical Re-enactments

Visiting Isola Comacina

Research Sources

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Como

Milan

Serravalle

…and Others

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Glacial Erratic Legends

Starting our Walk

Mediaeval Blevio

Cappellina Monte

Pietra Nairola

Sasso del Lupo

Monte Piatto and the Pietra Pendula

Summary

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Late Renaissance in Lombardy

Condottieri

Il Medeghino

The First Musso War

The Second Musso War

From Marquis of Musso to Marquis of Melegnano

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Why did WOHASU come to Como?

The Manifesto

Science and Measurement

Personal Happiness

Conclusion

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Organisational Ability

Action

Staffetta

Villa Rosasco

Keeping Up Appearances

Who Dares Wins

Righteous Among the Nations

Conclusion

Sources

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Where are our wolves?

The effect of lock-down

Man and Wolf

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A Fated Nation and a Fated Family

Bruno and Gina

Villa Feltrinelli

Lake Como

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Addendum (10th October 2023)

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