Town
Como
Lake Como · Lombardy
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Town
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Lake Como · Lombardy
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Como is the town at the southern tip of the lake’s western arm, the principal town of the lake and the natural gateway for visitors arriving by train from Milan. Its medieval centre holds a Gothic cathedral begun in 1396, the Romanesque church of Sant’Abbondio and the Broletto, the medieval town hall; the funicular railway climbs from the lakefront to the village of Brunate above, giving the broadest panorama over the lake and the Alps. Como was the birthplace of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, and of Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the battery, whose name lives on in the word “volt”.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Como was a Roman settlement at the southern end of the lake, founded in the 1st century BC and the birthplace of both Plinys. It became a medieval commune and a rival of Milan, with which it fought repeatedly; the town was destroyed by the Milanese in 1127 and rebuilt with the help of Frederick Barbarossa. The cathedral, begun in 1396 on the site of an earlier church, was built over more than three centuries and combines Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The funicular to Brunate opened in 1894, part of the late-19th-century tourist development of the lake. Como’s most famous modern son, Alessandro Volta, invented the electric battery in 1800.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The cathedral — the Gothic-Renaissance Duomo begun in 1396, with its façade, dome and tapestries.
The funicular to Brunate — the 1894 railway climbing the hillside to the village above, with the panorama over the lake.
The Broletto — the medieval town hall beside the cathedral, with its Gothic arcades.
The Tempio Voltiano — the museum dedicated to Alessandro Volta, on the lakefront.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Como is the town most visitors arrive at, and the one that frames the lake — the funicular to Brunate gives the first and broadest view of the water, and the cathedral and medieval centre are the lake’s most complete historic town. For a visitor, it is the natural starting point of a Lake Como visit, and the Brunate view is the one that orients the whole lake.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Como
Como, Lake Como, Lombardy, Italy
45.8080, 9.0852
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Lake Como
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THINGS TO DO
Things to do nearby
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Trattoria San Giacomo — a beloved local trattoria in Bellagio for lake fish and risotto, no reservations
Ristorante La Vista — the terrace restaurant at Hotel Albergo Milano in Varenna, with lake views and refined cooking
Al Prato — a quiet garden restaurant in Bellagio for modern Italian cooking, book ahead
Vecchia Varenna — a canal-side trattoria in Varenna for traditional lake cooking
Gatto Nero — a family-run restaurant on the Brunate hill above Como, with the view and the cooking to match
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Grand Hotel Tremezzo — a grand lakeside hotel at Tremezzo with a floating pool and gardens, opposite Bellagio
Hotel Florence — a charming hotel in the centre of Bellagio, with a garden and a restaurant
Albergo Milano — a family-run hotel in Varenna with lake-view rooms and a terrace restaurant
Hotel Du Lac — a simple, well-placed hotel on the Varenna waterfront, good value
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
INTERESTS
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PART OF
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