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ABOUT US WeAGoo is a company specialized in gathering and processing brief tourist information regarding places of historical, artistic, cultural, natural and architectural interest. By researching and reviewing websites, WeAGoo is creating a capillary “map” of Italy, including lesser-known places still important for their history, with 24,000 points of interest, 110 provinces 1,400 municipalities and all the main Italian art cities inserted so far. And the map is growing all the time… Our aim is to create the largest database for local tourist information given in brief format, designed to provide tourists with essential information, useful both before and during their visit to a particular town or city. WeAGoo is different from most other websites already found on the Internet. In our portal, people look for and find information. What we provide in all our descriptions of the points of interest are not subjective opinions, useful and at times amusing as these may be, but objective, historical information taken from official sources. We follow highly

precise criteria, among which geo-referencing is a basic and inseparable part. The principle activity of WeAGoo is to insert this information in its portal weagoo.com, enabling points of interest to be searched with immediate results. From the portal, visitors can create, generate, rearrange and print their own tourist itineraries, with the places, maps, images, notes and useful information for each town or city. Users who register free of charge can also take advantage of other functions, such as saving their itinerary in a personal “user profile” folder, creating multi-city travel plans and some social features too. All the information and functions in this portal are provided to visitors free of charge. The portal is funded by the production of personalized guides, by contributions, sponsoring and advertising. Visit the section “Become a Sponsor” for more information. WeaGoo is an internationally registered trademark and controls and uses a portfolio of sub-brands, each conceived and used according to its specific nature.

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We sell luxury apartments front Lake with private dock exclusive finishes www.comolakeresort.it [email protected] +39 031 278375

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LAKE COMO “The branch of Lake Como that turns southwards…” What better introduction than these lines of the Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni, who set his famous novel The Betrothed on the shores of Lake Como. In the curios shape of an upside-down ‘y’, Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy after Lake Garda and Lake Verbano. It is also unquestionably the best known in the world, due to its beautiful scenery, which has always enchanted painters and poets, and to its rich artistic and historical heritage. Added to these virtues is the temperate climate, in almost every season, and the hospitality of the local people. The landscape is fascinating and full of surprises. Although very varied, it is always harmonious: blue and green waters are flanked by rocky peaks topped with snow, or covered in green woods; old stone villages and towns perch between the lakeside and the mountains; magnificent old villas are interspersed with industrious towns steeped in history and culture, and there are romantic hideaways and breath-taking views around every corner… The lake is ideal for a relaxing holiday, with the opportunity to do a wide range of sports: from water sports (sailing, scuba diving, water ski6

ing, etc.) to mountain sports (skiing, trekking, free climbing, etc.), as well as several other outdoor and indoor sports. Sport has a high profile here, and most places are well equipped for it. The ideal way to admire the natural beauty of the lake is to do so from its waters. One of the many services that let you do just this is the“Taxi boat”, which gives you your own boat with a driver; you can choose the itinerary you prefer and the duration of the trip. Useful links: www.lagodicomo.org www.lakecomo.it www.larioonline.it www.navigazionelaghi.it

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TiP (tourist informations in pills) como...............................................pag 8 lecco...............................................pag 14 bellagio...........................................pag 20 menaggio........................................pag 26 cernobbio........................................pag 30 varenna..........................................pag 34 tremezzo.........................................pag 38 chiese...................................................pag 1 palazzi..................................................pag 5 musei....................................................pag 9 monumenti e strutture..........................pag 13 teatri.....................................................pag 21 varie......................................................pag 23

historical villas................................pag 45 where to eat....................................pag 60 map of the lake...............................pag 62

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The city of Como lies near the Italian border with Switzerland and stretches along the Western arm of the homonymous lake (one of the most important in the Italian peninsular), a popular international tourist destination due to its remarkable natural scenery. Modelled over the centuries first by nature and then by man, this quintessentially romantic place is set like a precious stone in a green hollow and is part of a fantastic and exclusive natural environment. And it is for this reason especially, though not only, that Como is a favourite place of lovers and poets. Today this region, founded by the ancient Orobii people according to classical historians, is of course completely urbanized. Yet, Como and its surroundings are still as delightful as when the ancient Romans discovered and conquered them two hundred years before Christ. The local economy is traditionally based on industry, particularly textiles and silk, which is famous around the world. Indeed, in the shops you can find beautiful ties and scarves produced from the local yarns. Today, however, the silk industry is in severe recession, and it is gradually being replaced with tourism, which has always been the prerogative of the lake-district towns. The numerous visitors who come to Como and its surroundings every year are attracted by the appeal of its temperate climate, by the landscape and by all the reminders of places conjured up by the Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni, who set his most famous work, The Betrothed, in this area. The historical centre of the town is close to the lakeside promenade, near what is 8

undoubtedly the most prestigious square in the town: Piazza del Duomo. The Duomo, or cathedral, is one of the most important cathedrals in Northern Italy. The city centre also contains numerous roads of many different kinds, with delightful, old-fashioned shops and workshops, but also smart boutiques of famous names, all selling goods of very high quality. The castrum romano, or Roman castle, still in its original form, stands out against the modern part of the city around it. The mediaeval walls are well preserved, and several of the sizeable look-out towers are still standing, for example, Porta Torre, Torre Gattoni and Torre San Vitale. Also of interest are the churches of San Fedele, in the heart of the town, and San Abbondio. We must not forget, either, the rationalist houses built by the famous Como architect Giuseppe Terragni: they are the former Casa del Fascio, the Monumento ai Caduti, the Novocomum and the Asilo Sant’Elia, all masterpieces of architecture. On the shore of the lake is the Tempio Voltiano, a building inaugurated in July 1928, where a number of relics of the world famous physicist and scientist of Como, Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery and discoverer of methane, are kept. Lastly, Villa Olmo, the most famous and sumptuous historic home in Como, is well worth a visit. Designed by Simone Cantoni and completed in 1812, today the building hosts major events and prestigious art exhibitions. To end the itinerary, there is the picturesque cable car that connects Como to the mountains and the small town of Brunate.

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COMO

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LAKE COMO Getting about in como BUS Como has an extensive bus network, enabling users to move around freely within the city. At the same time, the network connects all the other main localities bordering the lake. Tickets can be purchased at specialized sales outlets at a cost of €1.25 (for travel within the city), while a one-day ticket costs €2.90. For further information on times and fares, see www.asfautolinee.it BOAT The boats operated by Navigazione Lago di Como offer a much more unusual and picturesque way to visit and admire this beautiful lake. If you buy a one-day ticket with unlimited travel, you can get on and off where you want. The most important places are also connected by the faster hydrofoil service. For further information on times and fares, see www.navlaghi.it TAXI BOAT For tourists who wish to visit Lake Como by boat, but in complete freedom, the best solution is definitely a Taxi Boat. Many transport companies provide boats of different kinds and sizes, for tours of varying lengths and along different routes. For further information, see the following websites: www.taxiboat.it

www.barindellitaxiboats.it www.tasell.com BICYCLE For those who want to do without a car for a few days and have a “green” holiday, bicycles are the best option. The city has roads with wonderful views, alternative routes away from the traffic and cycle/foot paths of various lengths. ON FOOT Probably the most pleasant way to explore Como is to visit the city on foot. A walk through the lanes of the historical centre is a pleasure not to be missed. TRAIN Como is connected to the main towns and villages bordering the lake, but also to cities like Milan, Bergamo and Lugano, by an efficient rail network. To reach Switzerland or Milan, you need to take Trenitalia (Italian State Railway) trains, while the Como Lago line of the Ferrovie Nord Milano connects the city to the towns of lower Como Province all the way to Milan, and the Seveso-Asso line links it to the main towns in Brianza as far as Erba and Canzo. For more information see the following websites: www.trenitalia.com www.ferrovienord.it www.trasporti.regione.lombardia.it

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como

USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.comune.como.it or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office I.A.T. Como Piazza Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 17 Tel. +39 031/3300128 Scattered around the city you can find InfoPoint, open from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 13.30 to 17.00. Via Maestri Cumacini Piazzale San Gottardo Piazza Matteotti (waiting room at the bus terminal) Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 Climate Como has a fairly typical continental climate, despite the lake. Summers are hot, although slightly less so than the nearby (often muggy) towns in the Po valley. In August, temperatures can reach as high as 35°C. Winters are cold, and here too, the mass of water in the lake does not mitigate temperatures greatly. In November, December, January and February, minimum temperatures often go below zero. Snowfalls are not rare by any means, although discontinuous, from one winter to another. Humidity levels are very high all year round. What you never see in the city is fog, although there is plenty of it in the Po plain. There is quite high rainfall, and heavy rain is quite common.

Volta temple © Davide “Dodo” Oliva

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como

LAKE COMO

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Volta Temple

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Lakeside

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Palace of Broletto

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Cathedral Square

Viale Guglielmo Marconi - Como The Volta Temple, opened in July 1928, was designed to be a new building to house originals and reconstructions of scientific instruments of Volta, destroyed by fire in 1899 during the Great Exhibition in Como prepared for the Centennial of the invention of the stack. It consists of a circular room of almost 12 meters in diameter, crowned by a dome lighted in the middle.

Lungo Lario Trento, 11 - Como The lakeside of Como develops in a wide arc in two streets that begin in Piazza Cavour: Long Lario Trieste on the right and Long Lario Trento on the left. The latter being flanked by buildings, villas, hotels, and ends at the port and the public gardens.

Piazza Duomo - Como The building, with a gothic facade in bands of white, grey and red marble from the Larian quarries, flanked by the civic tower of Bugnato, was built in 1215 by the mayor Bonardo da Codazzo and modified to renaissance gothic form in 1477. It was the headquarters of the medieval council. Currently it is used as a congress hall and for art exhibitions.

Piazza Duomo - Como The vast Cathedral Square, the heart of the Roman city, the ancient civil and religious centre of the city: there we find lined up the tower of the Council, the Broletto and the famous Cathedral, and it was the building of the latter, which lasted for several centuries, has led to a series of changes and restructuring of the area, which already in medieval times was one of the richest historical testimonies of the city.

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The Cathedral

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Social Theatre

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House of Fascio

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Port Tower

Piazza Duomo - Como The Cathedral, the ancient civil and religious center in the heart of the city, is one of the few buildings in the Gothic style of Como. Begun in 1396 and designed by Lorenzo of Spalti, due to Gian Galeazzo Visconti, ended in 1740 with the dome of Filippo Juvara. The façade is adorned with sculptures of Rodari while the interior contains tapestries from the 16th and 17th centuries, from Ferrara, Florence and Antwerp, and a beautiful marble floor.

Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, 17 - Como The Social Theatre was built in 1813 and designed by Giuseppe Cusi, in the area of the destroyed castle of the Round Tower of Rusca. The neoclassical facade is preceded by a portico of six Corinthian columns. Among the artists who worked there we remember Nicolo Paganini, Giuditta Pasta and Francesco Tamagno. In 1943 was home to the Teatro alla Scala (in Milan), which was damaged by bombing. Attached is the headquarters of the casino, whose rooms are luxuriously furnished.

Piazza del Popolo, 7 - Como The project of 1932 was Giuseppe Terragni’s, of whom there are various examples of Italian rationalism in the city. Dominant characteristics of the building is the transparence, without continuity, and leaves both internal and external discussion: at the entrance the 18 glass doors reduce the inside-outside border. Today it is the provincial office of the Financial Guards.

Via Cesare Cantù, 68-76 - Como Port Tower is an imposing fortress, 40 meters high, built in 1192 on the initiative of the mayor Umberto da Pavia, to defend the most important entrance to the city of Como. Port Tower is one of the most interesting examples in Italy, of military architecture of the Romanesque tradition. Not far from this great medieval building in the basement of the nearby school building, are the ruins of Roman walls.

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LAKE COMO

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This charming and elegant city on the shore of Lake Como boasts a long history, dating from pre-Roman times. Considered one of the most important industrial centres in the country, Lecco flourished during the Middle Ages, when it became part of the Duchy of Milan, following the Costanza peace treaty. It was made up of several urban centres, each inextricably bound to the other, and each with its own functional and economic specialization. Despite the alliance with the Lombard capital during the 1117 war, the city had many enemies among the smaller towns and villages of the Como and Lugano Lakes. Relations between the two cities always remained very strained, to the extent that Matteo Visconti even destroyed the town in 1296. When Maria Teresa of Austria came to power, Lecco was given authority over the parishes of Bellano, Mandello, Varenna, Vedeseta and Valsassina, and its land underwent a great deal of modernization and development. In 1976 the town was awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valour, for the sacrifices made by its people during the Second World War. The area has a local tradition of trade and crafts, based on the market, which has been going since 1149 and is held in Piazza XX Settembre (some of the most characteristic roads of the town start from here), and also on the iron works. Furthermore, being surrounded by steep mountains, the city is in an ideal position for tourism, being both a lake and mountain resort. The historical centre, once surrounded 14

by a city wall and moat, extends around Piazza XX Settembre, where the shops line the sides of the square under the arches of the portico, rebuilt in Neo-Classical style between 1820 and 1839. This area, made up of simple houses, with the odd Mediaeval portal or open gallery, contains the Church of San Nicolò, patron saint of navigators. Mentioned in Alessandro Manzoni’s famous novel The Betrothed, this city is an ideal location for a historical and literary tour among the places evoked by Manzoni. The most important ones are: Ponte Azzone Visconti, Tabernacolo dei Bravi, Convento di Pescarenico and, lastly, the house that might have belonged to Lucia Mondella, the heroine of Manzoni’s novel.

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LECCO

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LAKE COMO Getting about in LECCO ON FOOT The best way to see Lecco is probably on foot. A romantic stroll along the lakeside is a must. BICYCLE For those who want to do without the car for a few days and have a “green” holiday, the best option is a bicycle. The city has streets with fantastic views, alternative routes away from the traffic and cycle/foot paths of various lengths. BUS Lecco has an extensive bus network, allowing users to move around the city freely. At the same time, it also connects all the main localities bordering the lake. Tickets can be purchased at authorized vendors and cost €1 (for travel within the city), while a daily ticket costs €2.50. For further information on fares and times, see www.lineelecco.it or www.leccotrasporti.it BOAT The boats operated by Navigazione Lago di Como provide an unusual way to see and admire this beautiful lake. The company offers a “one-day ticket with unlimited travel”, allow-

ing tourists to get on and off in the towns they want to. The most important places on the lake are also linked by the faster hydrofoil service. For further information see www.navigazionelaghi.it TAXI BOAT For tourists who wish to visit Lake Como by boat, but in complete freedom, the best solution is definitely a Taxi Boat. Many transport companies provide boats of different types and sizes, for tours of varying lengths and along different routes. For further information, see www.taxiboatlecco.it CAMPER For people travelling by caravan or camper, the Province of Lecco has compiled a list of camper service areas and all other spaces where large vehicles like these can be parked. We recommend that all concerned consult the following website: www.lakecomo.it/sites/default/files/allegati/ sezione/camper%20aree%20e%20parcheggi_Prov%20LC%2010.xls.pdf

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lecco

USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.comune.lecco.it or the official tourism website: www.turismo.provincia.lecco.it Official Tourist Information Office I.A.T. Lecco Via Nazario Sauro 6, Lecco Tel. +39 0341/295720 [email protected] Open every day from 9.00 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00. Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 NEAR Mandello......10 km Erba.............16 km Bellagio........22 km Varenna.......26 km Como...........28 km Bergamo......40 km Climate The city has a mild climate, as Lecco is always exposed to the sun and to the breezes from the lake. The climate is a continental one, although greatly mitigated by the currents from the lake. Winters are therefore never particularly severe, and the temperature rarely goes below 7 degrees. In summer, the frequent winds that are channelled through the nearby mountains make it a very pleasant place to stay. WHEN TO GO For those who like sunbathing or water sports, the best time to go is summer. However, if you prefer to spend your holiday exploring the surrounding area, the ideal time to go is spring and autumn.

© Marco Bonavoglia

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lecco

LAKE COMO

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Belgiojoso Palace

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San Nicolo’ Basilica

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Mario Cermenati’s Square

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Visconti’s Tower

Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 32 - Lecco Palazzo Belgiojoso was built between the XVII and XVIII century for the Locatelli family of Imagna’s valley. Was restored in 1774 and sold to the prices of Belgiojso d’Este, from which derives its name. Today is the house of the civic museums, it guests naturalistic collections divided on eleven rooms and containing a vast selection of findings, some of which prepared by the museum’s founder: Carlo Vercelloni. Furthermore are also on display some Mineral collections.

Via Pietro Nava, 3 - Lecco It is the main Basilica of the city and is dedicated to the sailors patron; built around the seventh century has inside seventeen century furnishing of Fantoni di Rovetta, a baptismal font of 1596, romans parts of the eleventh century and a chapel decorated with the stories of Saint Antony by Giotto (end of fourteen century). The bell tower reaches 96 meters, is the city symbol, and has a neo-gothic taste spire.

Piazza Mario Cermenati - Lecco It is a square dedicated to Mario Cermenati. At the center you can admire the monument dedicated to Lecco’s geologist. Built in 1927 from Francesco Modena reminds the figure of this scholar, fond of geology and professor of this subject at Rome University.

Piazza 20 Settembre - Lecco The tower dates from the first half of the fourteen century and was built by Azzoni Visconti probably were a more modest already existed. The castle itself during the seventeen century housed a Spanish garrison. In 1782, during the reforms instituted by emperor Joseph II, the military stronghold of Lecco was abolished and the castle sold to private citizens. Today of the castle there is only a trace, the tower used for civic museum exhibitions.

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Lakeside Promenade

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Manzoni Itineraries

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Villa Manzoni

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Fishing Village

Lungolario Isonzo 13 - Lecco For the whole of the summer and on Sundays and public holidays, Lecco’s lakeside promenade becomes a crowded pedestrian area, from where you can enjoy a fantastic view of Lake Como. Along the tree-lined promenade you will find the jetty, where the ferry boats for the main tourist spots in the area arrive and depart. You can also take one of the taxi boats that take tourists round various parts of the lake to explore the most beautiful spots.

Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, 6-10 - Lecco The whole area of Lecco is imbued with the 19th-century Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni and his most famous work, The Betrothed. If you go to Pescarenico, you can follow an itinerary that passes through most of the places described in the novel and thus feel the atmosphere these places still evoke today: the Castle of the Unnamed, the Church of Beato Serafino, the Monastery of Father Cristoforo, Lucia’s house and the Church of Don Abbondio.

Via Beato Guanella, 1-7 - Lecco The villa, today a museum, has a typical neoclassical structure and for over two centuries was the main residence and family house of the Manzoni family and part of a vast real estate in Lecco owned by Alessandro. It was sold in 1818 by Alessandro Manzoni to Giuseppe Scola. Giuseppe Scola successor maintained the original aspect of the rooms and also a lot of furniture and furnishings in the same original location.

Piazza Era - Lecco The picturesque fishing village that winds around the square known today as Piazza Era still stands on the banks of the River Adda. This is the main square in the village of Pescarenico, part of Lecco Province, and is the only place in the province to be mentioned explicitly by Manzoni in his novel. It was the place where the fishing nets and boats were cleaned, and where the fishing families gathered in the evenings.

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lecco

LAKE COMO

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BELLAGIO With its delightful position, its villas and small houses huddled together, its luscious vegetation and gentle climate, the “pearl of Lake Como”, on the tip of the promontory dividing the lake into two branches, has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity (even with such illustrious men as Pliny the Younger, Stendhal, Manzoni, Parini, Toscanini and Liszt). Originating from a Roman settlement, ancient Bellagio then became a fortified town with walls and a rampart in the Longobard era. During the period of the communes, it became Como’s adversary, and then a feud of noble families for many centuries. It was these same families who built the wonderful villas and palaces with beautiful parks, which were then enlarged and renovated in the 18th century. During the 19th century, Bellagio became one of the most famous holiday locations in the world, where noble families and the rich middle class had homes. Extending partly along the side of the lake and partly on the slopes of the promontory, the town is an ideal place to stay for anyone seeking rest and quiet walks, but also for the more active, because of the numerous different tourist and sports facilities. During the summer, there are facilities for all types of water sports, while in winter, three ski-lifts operate on Monte San Primo. The Romanesque churches are of particular architectural interest, as are the villas. You can also enjoy stunning views, particularly from the park of Villa Serbelloni (considered one of the most beautiful in Italy) and the peak 20

of Monte San Primo, from where you can see the Alps on very clear days. Among the most beautiful villas are Villa Melzi, Villa Poldi Pezzoli, Villa Giulia and Villa Belmone. In the high part of the town you can see the church of San Giacomo, built by the Como Magistrates. Among the many interesting examples of religious architecture, there is also the Oratorio di San Giorgio and the remains of the Church of San Pietro Apostolo, incorporated into Villa Serbelloni. Don’t miss a walk up the Serbelloni rise, flanked by attractive small shops, or through the porticos, considered the town’s drawing-room, along the lakeside promenade, the most beautiful on Lake Como, and a visit to the Punta Spartivento, where you can see magnificent views over the three branches of the lake and over the Prealps. Among the 22 different hamlets, the most well known is Borgo, centred around the jetty where the boats come in, with stairs, little squares, shops and craft workshops. There are also many excursions that can be done from Bellagio, on foot, by car or by boat. One of the best-known places for excursions is the park of Monte San Primo, which can be reached by car (14 km). From here to the top of the mount it’s roughly a three-hour walk. To return from the park to Bellagio, you can follow a scenic route, going via Ghisallo and Civenna, where you can enjoy the view of the Grigne peaks, of the lake from Lecco to Varenna, of the mountains from the Comi di Canzo to Legnone, and of the Val Bengaglia and Valtellina.

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bellagio

© Riccardo T.

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USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.bellagiolakecomo.com www.comune.bellagio.co.it or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office Information Office Piazza Mazzini - Bellagio (Co) Tel. +39 031 950204 Fax +39 031 950 204 [email protected] Promobellagio Office Piazza della Chiesa 14 - Bellagio (Co) Tel. +39 031 951555 Fax +39 031 951 555 [email protected] http://www.bellagiolakecomo.com Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 ClimaTE Bellagio has a generally sunny and temperate climate, never too hot or too cold. The average annual temperature is higher than elsewhere, while the average daily range is lower and always less than 14 degrees. NEAR Cadenabbia....................................Km.2,5 Griante............................................Km. 3,4 Tremezzo.......................................Km. 4,5 Menaggio........................................Km. 5 Varenna..........................................Km. 5 Lenno.............................................Km. 7 Perledo...........................................Km. 8 San Primo.......................................Km. 14

Serbelloni rise © Davide “Dodo” Oliva

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LAKE COMO

Church of San Giacomo

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Porticos

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Serbelloni Rise

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Lakeside Promenade

Via Roma, 1 - Bellagio Built between 1075 and 1125, the complex consists of the church, with a sacristy joined on, and a bell tower. The church has a nave and two aisles, separated by massive pillars alternated with columns. At the end of the nave and aisles is a single flight of stairs leading to the raised presbytery. The building is covered with a pitched roof, while the walls are in bare stone outside and partly plastered inside.

Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini - Bellagio Bellagio’s porticos are a distinctive feature of the town and add interest to the most attractive lakeside promenade on Lake Como. They are considered the town’s drawing-room. The many cafés, restaurants and typical shops beneath them are always full of tourists, whatever the time of day.

Salita Serbelloni - Bellagio The picturesque streets of Bellagio make an enchanting walk. Via Garibaldi, the main street running right through it longitudinally, is intersected by cobbled lanes and steps leading down to the lake. The last and widest of these is Salita Serbelloni, (Serbelloni Rise), where a plaque commemorates the Romantic composer Franz Liszt’s long stay here.

Via Lungolago Europa - Bellagio The lakeside promenade of Bellagio is said to be the most beautiful of Lake Como. Extending from the historical centre to Villa Melzi, this tree-lined road, bursting with colour and scent in Spring and Summer, is the ideal place for a stroll. As you walk along, you can enjoy the beautiful view over the mountains slipping into the water, and over Bellagio, which seems to be sitting right on the lake. At sunset, the sky turns to soft shades, creating wonderful reflections on the lake. 22

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Impresa di costruzioni

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We sell apartments front Lake with private dock, mooring and pool Energy Class B Fine finishes

INFO Street provinciale Lariana, 583 Lezzeno, Como +39 031 278375

Resort Brochure Italian/English

Resort Brochure Italian/Russian

www.bellagiolakeresort.it [email protected]

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MENAGGIO Situated in the central part of Lake Como, on the Western shore, nestled between the lake and the mountains, the picturesque town of Menaggio has been a popular tourist destination since the 19th century. Evidence of its ancient origins can be found both in the historical centre and the hamlets, where there are important artistic treasures. On the side of the Church of Santa Marta in Via Calvi, for instance, you can see the Roman tombstone of Minicio Exorato, an important personnage in the Roman Empire, and the coat of arms of the town. Going uphill to the castle district, you can find some unusual portals. The castle, which still has its imposing outer walls, was destroyed by the Grigionesi in 1523. In the centre is the Church of San Carlo, with its characteristic bell gable. Along the beautiful lakeside promenade, the real jewel in the crown of this attractive town, with wide views over the centre of the lake, as well as the Grigne and the Comi di Canzo peaks, you come to the monument to Francesco Somaini’s Weaver. Be sure to visit the numerous villas, especially Villa Mylius Vigoni, but also Villa Belfaggio, Villa Valsecchi, Villa D’Azeglio and Villa Lovone. As for religious architecture, the 17th-century Church of Santo Stefano is particularly in26

teresting, as it contains a silver processional cross of 1539 and paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries. The “leaning tower” in Nobiallo is a curious sight. It is Romanesque and belongs to the parish church of Santi Bartolomeo e Nicolò, and it has been leaning ever since it was built, because of the land subsiding. Among many assets, the town boasts an exclusive golf course with 18 holes, a large bathing resort, a public beach with free access and numerous sports facilities, as well as welcoming bars, shops, events and shows. The numerous restaurants in the centre and in the hamlets offer typical, traditional dishes, and specialities of the lakeside areas and of the valleys. Thanks to its central position, between the lake and the mountains, Menaggio is the ideal starting point for any type of excursion: by boat you can reach the marvellous villas in the centre of the lake, by bus or car you can drive through the many valleys, with their old villages and hamlets and ancient roads connecting them, while on foot or on mountain bike you can discover the paths of the Parco Val Sanagra, while sports enthusiasts can venture onto the Via Ferrata of Monte Grona, or the rock-climbing training ground between Menaggio and the hamlet of Nobiallo.

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USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.menaggio.com www.prolocomenaggio.com or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office I.A.T. Menaggio Piazza Garibaldi, 3 - Menaggio (CO) Tel. e Fax. +39 0344 32924
 [email protected] Opening: 9.00 to 12.30 and 14.30 to 18.00 from 1 April to 31 May closed on Sunday; from
1 June to 31 August open every day; from 1 September to 31 October closed on Sunday, from 1 November to 31 March from 9.00 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00, Sunday and Wednesday 
closed during this period. The office may be closed for short periods of vacation. Pro Loco Menaggio Via Lusardi, 26 - Menaggio (CO) Tel. +39 0344 36411 Fax +39 0344 31728 [email protected] www.prolocomenaggio.com Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 ClimaTE Menaggio has quite a mild climate, with moderately cold winters and hot summers, with average temperatures in July and August of about 29°C. Walking, horse-riding and mountain biking are advisable from May to October. NEAR Griante............................................Km.3,5 Varenna..........................................Km. 5 Bellagio...........................................Km. 5,2 Tremezzo.......................................Km. 5,6 Lenno.............................................Km. 8 Dongo.............................................Km. 13

© Dalem

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Harbour

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Church of Santo Stefano

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Villa Mylius Vigoni

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Loveno

Via Annetta e Celestino Lusardi, 2-38 - Menaggio The harbour is at the entrance to Menaggio as you arrive from Como. It was built around 1885 at the instigation of Luigia Vigoni and designed by her son Giulio. The building combines the traditional architecture of Alpine lake harbours with the “fin de siècle” taste for waterside houses. It is still used as a berth for boats and as a holiday residence, and also as a venue for conventions of the Villa Vigoni Italian-German Centre.

Via Annetta e Celestino Lusardi, 55 - Menaggio Dating from the 17th century, the complex includes the church and the bell tower. The church has a longitudinal plan with a nave and two aisles, with side chapels and a sacristy. The roof is covered in stone slabs and both the exterior and interior walls are plastered. The square bell tower has a dome-shaped roof covered in copper and stands on the north side. There are a few steps up to the church entrance extending right across the front of the building.

Via Vigoni - Menaggio The current design of the building dates from 1829 at the wish of Heinrich Mylius. The front has a wide lower band with four niches, each decorated with the marble bust of an important family friend: the professor Antonio Kramer, the coin collector Gaetano Cattaneo, the novelist and poet Alessandro Manzoni and the naturalist Eduard Rüppel. The park, full of age-old trees, as well as historical and artistic connections, is one of the bestkept romantic gardens in Lombardy.

Via per Barna, 5-7 - Menaggio The little old town of Loveno, to the south, has a charm all of its own. In the mid-nineteenth century, artists and famous people were fond of staying in the prestigious villas here. The most important of these is Villa Mylius Vigoni, but also Villa Garovaglia Ricci, Villa Govone and, in low Loveno, Villa Bolza and Villa Belfaggio. The parish church of Santissimi Lorenzo and Agnese, rebuilt between 1725 and 1738, is a remarkable example of Baroque art. 28

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LAKE COMO

CERNOBBIO In a splendid position on the lake at the foot of Monte Bisbino, Cernobbio is an elegant tourist location of international renown, and has been since the 19th century. Its name is thought to derive from “Coenobium”, the ancient convent that once stood on the same spot where Villa D’Este stands today. A town of ancient origin, after various fortunes and misfortunes, Cernobbio managed to obtain its own privileges and status in the 13th century. A period of decadence followed in the 16th century, when the Spanish invaded and plundered the town. After the Giolitti period, in the early 20th century, the town grew rapidly, with a further increase after the 1940s, creating a new urban sprawl. During the Second World War, the areas of Casnedo, Stimianico, Olzino and Piazza Santo Stefano hosted hierarchs of the Third Reich and the Fascist regime. The “protected”area began from where the Carabinieri station is today, with a round-the-clock road block. On 24 May 2005, the President of the Republic of Italy, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, gave Cernobbio the honorary title of city. Famous for its villas and hotels, Cernobbio is also an important industrial centre. It is here, in fact, that one of the first industrial silk works was born. There are many famous villas to visit here, especially Villa D’Este, built in the 16th century by Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and today converted into a luxury hotel. Villa Erba is another, built in the 19th century and today 30

an important conference and exhibition centre; or the 16th-century Villa Pizzo, restored many times and containing 18th-century frescoes as interesting as its vast park. Strolling along the elegant lakeside promenade, you will also discover Villa Bernasconi, in art deco style, and Villa Fontanelle, which once belonged to the late fashion designer Gianni Versace. From the town you can reach Monte Bisbino (1,325 m) following a scenic road. After Rovenna, near the cottages on the Scarone Alp, is the Buco della Volpe, a large cave with pools and underground water channels. At the top of the mountain is a 16th-century sanctuary dedicated to St. Mary, with a wonderful view over the lake, the Alps and the plain. Cernobbio is also the beginning of Lake Como’s “mountain road”, a long and scenic route along footpaths at a height of 600 to 1200m, fully marked by CAI, the Italian Alpine Club.

Villa Erba © Martin Hapl

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Villa d’Este © Zesser

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USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.comune.cernobbio.co.it or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office I.A.T. Cernobbio Via Regina, 23 - Cernobbio (CO) Tel. + 39 0313 43235 Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 ClimaTE Cernobbio offers visitors the mild climate of the lake and the invigorating climate of the mountains. It is nonetheless milder here than in other mountain areas, with higher average temperatures and smaller temperature ranges, due to the lake. NEAR Moltrasio.........................................Km.3,4 Carate Urio.....................................Km. 6 Como..............................................Km. 6,3 Chiasso..........................................Km. 6,3 Laglio..............................................Km. 8,3 Brienno...........................................Km. 11 Brunate...........................................Km. 12 Argegno..........................................Km. 16 Ossuccio.........................................Km. 20

© Martin Hapl

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LAKE COMO

Villa d’Este

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Villa Allamel

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Villa Erba

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Villa Bernasconi

Via Regina 40 - Cernobbio Built in 1568 as the summer residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, it later incorporated a second building dating from 1860. The two buildings together form one of the most luxurious European residences to become a luxury hotel today. It has a large park, and inside the halls are valuable frescoes. The English-style garden contains age-old trees and a 16th-century mosaic with a nymphaeum. In 2009, the magazine Forbes rated it the best hotel in the world.

Piazza Roma, 7 - Cernobbio Built in 1846 by the Milanese Stefano de Colli, the villa stands on a rampart overlooking the lake in the old centre of Cernobbio. The building has a “C”-shaped plan with two floors and an attic. The garden has a pergola with columns next to the harbour, a berceau situated on the rampart overlooking the lake, a marble floor mosaic and, at the entrance, a glass and wrought-iron canopy in art deco style. It has belonged to the Allamel family for many decades.

Via Regina, 8 - Cernobbio Villa Erba in Cernobbio is one of the most important Italian lakeside villas of the 19th century. It was also the home of the director Luchino Visconti, and a special path associating the life of the famous director with the family villa was created here. His most important films, from The Leopard, to Ludwig, to The Damned are all permeated with his love for this lakeside home. Today it is an important exhibition centre.

Via Privata Bernasconi - Cernobbio Built at the wish of Davide Bernasconi, the villa is part of a complex including the factory works, the workers’ dwellings and a nursery school. Finished at the end of 1905, the combination and workmanship of the materials are reminiscent of the Milanese art deco period. However, the plastering and multi-coloured decorations are part of an overall plan that is still basically eclectic, although oriented towards the future.

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VARENNA This delightful old fishing town has narrow lanes leading off in all directions from the church square to the lake, old houses and arcades along the lakeside. Varenna is perhaps the only place on Lecco’s shores to have attracted the international tourism that has always been characteristic of Como’s shores, because it has that “noble”atmosphere that Bellagio, Cadenabbia and Cernobbio also have. Its name appears for the first time in 493, mentioned by Corio in his history of Milan, but the first certain indication of its existence is in a document of Dean Grato of Monza, dated 769. Varenna’s true history begins after the year 1000, however: looted and defeated in 1126 by the people of Como, against whom it had fought under the Milanese flag, in 1169 it became a richer town after the people of Como also destroyed the island of Comacina. For most of the people who managed to escape took refuge in Varenna, contributing towards the increase of the population. After being part of the archbishop’s domain, the old town came into the hands of the Sforza family. It waged war twice against Como, in 1224 and in1228, and was razed to the ground. This was one of the last heroic acts of the people of Varenna, who were subsequently forced to surrender, first to the Visconti, until 1402, then to the ty34

rant Franchino Rusca and, lastly, in 1537, to Giuseppe Valeriano Sfondrati. Today, thanks to the Conference Centre near Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi, the little town is the venue of international conferences that have brought numerous Nobel Prize scientists to the lake’s shores. Nonetheless, it the town has not forgotten its past, based on fishing, the construction of barrels and the extraction of its famous black marble. Don’t miss a visit to Villa Monastero and its gardens, an integral part of the atmosphere and charm of the place, but also to the Church of San Giorgio, which contains a precious “Deposition of the Cross” in coloured stones, and Villa Cipressi, with its terraces sloping down to the lake, where plants of rare beauty and botanical interest grow. Behind the town lie the remains of the mediaeval Castle of Vezio, with a central keep and part of the outer walls. The hamlet of Fiumelatte makes an interesting day trip. Its name translates as “river of milk”, and it is so called because of the white froth on the torrent springing from a cave in Spring only and gushing into the lake after a brief course. Perledo, Vezio and Esino Lario, on the other hand, are good starting points for excursions into the chain of mountains called Le Grigne.

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USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.varennaitaly.com www.comune.varenna.lc.it or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office Tourist Information Office Via per Esino, 3 - 23828 Perledo (Lc) Tel. +39 0341 814009 Fax +39 0341 814514 www.tivanotours.com [email protected] Travel agency, airline tickets, rail, sea, car rental, hotel booking, sales packages. Closed Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Pro Loco Varenna Piazza Venini, 1 - 23829 Varenna (Lc) Tel./Fax +39 0341 830367 www.varennaitaly.com [email protected] Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 Climate Thanks to its particular position, Varenna has a mild climate, which has resulted in rich vegetation. A good example are the gardens of Villa Monastero, the main attraction of the area, but also the olive trees, the cypress trees and other local botanical species. NEAR Menaggio........................................Km. 5 Bellano...........................................Km. 5 Bellagio...........................................Km. 5 Dervio.............................................Km. 9 Esino Lario.....................................Km. 12 Mandello del Lario..........................Km. 12 Abbadia Lariana.............................Km. 14 Villa monastero © Aconcagua

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LAKE COMO

Church of San Giorgio

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“Luigi Scanagatta” Museum

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Villa Isimbardi or dei Cipressi

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Villa Monastero

Piazza San Giorgio, 21 - Varenna Built in the 14th century, it has a façade with three doors and a tented belfry, partly rebuilt in the 18th century. The interior, with a nave and two aisles, still contains three small paintings and a polyptych by Brentani (1468), a 16th-century processional cross, a carved Baroque confessional of the 17th to 18th centuries and two paintings of the Lombard school, one from the 15th century and the other dated 1533.

Via 4 Novembre, 3 - Varenna The museum opened in 1962 thanks to Luigi Scanagatta, a famous ornithology, malacology and botany scholar. With the aid of other enthusiasts, he began a collection of specimens of the sedentary and migrating avifauna of the region. The collection, which soon became remarkably important, includes about 700 stuffed birds of the most important European species, as well as other specimens found in the region and a malacological collection.

Via 4 Novembre, 22 - Varenna Originally very old, this complex of buildings and green spaces underwent various alterations between the 15th and 19th century. It belonged to the Serponti family and, in the 19th century, to the Isimbardi family. The current Neoclassical design, especially of the lakeside façade, is due to the intervention of Enrico Andreossi, towards the second half of the 19th century. The wonderful garden, adorned with rows of cypress trees, is built on terraces sloping down towards the lake.

Via Roma 13 - Varenna Villa Monastero originated from the continuous rebuilding of the old Cistercian convent of Santa Maria from about 1208. Its foundation is probably related to the religious settlements on the opposite shore of the lake: the monastery of Santi Faustino e Giovita on Isola Comacina, where the refugees of 1169 came from. The staircase, built with multi-coloured marble, ceramics and stuccoes, is particularly interesting.

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LAKE COMO

tremezzo One of the best known tourist locations of the Central part of the Lake, with splendid views over the central valley and the peaks of Le Grigne mountains, Tremezzo is a town with two personalities, one characteristic of the Riviera, the other of the hills, but both of great beauty. Inhabited since Roman times (of which there are still remains), in the mediaeval era the town was involved in the struggles between Como and Milan and was destroyed several times. From the second half of the 17th century, however, a period of prosperity and social exchange began which gave the town most of the palaces that still stand today, both in the hamlets in the mountains and in those down by the lake. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars led to the dissolution of this type of society and the creation of a new economic system, causing the decline of many families and the sale of many palaces, downgraded to farmhouses. Bought by rich gentlefolk from nearby Milan, some of these palaces became country homes from the first decades of the nineteenth century, when it had already become a custom to stay in these places for the salubrious air and to cure serious illnesses. The first hotels appeared from 1850, and the town became a famous tourist resort. This activity came to a halt with the start of the First World War, and started up again only with 38

difficulty after the hostilities ended. Nevertheless, the war left important marks: the military mountain roads, the tunnel and the trenches dug in strategic places. Spared the events of the Second World War, the town and the area were the stage of Mussolini’s escape, capture and execution by shooting, which occurred in the immediate vicinity. These events underline the historical importance of the town and of the whole area of Lake Como as not only a touristic area, but a place of important European events, both past and recent. Its sheltered position and the particularly mild climate, even in Winter, have allowed the cultivation of olive trees and the production of local olive oil, famous since ancient times. The stately villas and grand hotels, built from the 18th and 19th centuries onwards, make it an international tourist centre. A visit to the highly famous Villa Carlotta and its gardens is a must, but also to Villa la Carlia, Villa Boliviana, or the “Teresio Olivelli” public park. A typical excursion starting from Tremezzo is to Monte Crocione: there is a road as far as Intignano, after that, follow the mule path on foot for about three hours. From 1928 to 1947 Tremezzo, Lenno and Mezzegra were part of a single municipality called “Tremezzina”.

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USEFUL INFORMATION Official Web Sites of the City For general information, visit the website: www.tremezzo.it or the official tourism website: www.lagodicomo.com Official Tourist Information Office I.A.T. Tremezzo Via Regina, 3 - Tremezzo (Co) Tel. +39 0344 40493 [email protected] Open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.00 to 12.30 and from 15.30 to 18.30. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9.00 to 18.30. Pro loco Tremezzo Municipio - Via Peduzzi, 6 - Tremezzo (Co) Tel. +39 0344 40412 [email protected] Useful Phone Numbers Military Police (Carabinieri)…......................112 State Police (Polizia)……………..................113 Fire Brigade……………………....................115 Ambulance Service……………....................118 Travel Information……………....................1518 Climate Tremezzo has quite a mild climate, due to the chain of mountains protecting it from the colder currents and influence of the lake. This is also why it became a historical international tourist destination, where the likes of Giuseppe Verdi, Queen Victoria of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Greta Garbo stayed. NEAR Mezzegra........................................Km. 2 Cadenabbia....................................Km. 2 Griante............................................Km. 3 Bellagio...........................................Km. 4,7 Menaggio........................................Km. 5,6

Villa Carlotta © Adam Comerford

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Villa Carlotta

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Grand Hotel Tremezzo

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Church of San Lorenzo

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Villa la Carlia

SS340 13 - Tremezzo Villa Carlotta is a place of rare beauty, where beautiful natural scenery and masterpieces of human ingenuity live in perfect harmony amid over 70,000 sq.m. of gardens and museum buildings open to the public. This magnificent stately home was commissioned at the end of the 17th century by the Marquis Giorgio Clerici. An imposing, but sober building, surrounded by an Italian-style garden with statues, stairs and fountains, it was built in a natural basin between the lake and the mountains, in front of breath-taking scenery.

Via Provinciale Regina, 4 - Tremezzo Built in 1910 by the then owner Enea Gandola to the design of the architect Costantino Ferrario, its structure is imposing and its decorations and finishings are very similar to the art deco style. It also has large, striking staircases leading up to the ground floor. The building has two hectares of green land and, unlike the other grand hotels of Lake Como, was built as a luxury hotel without being converted from a private villa.

Via Provinciale Regina, 28 - Tremezzo The architectural complex dedicated to San Lorenzo, dating from the 18th to the 19th centuries, consists of a church, with a sacristy joined on, and a belfry. The church has an octagonal central plan and a hip roof with Marseille clay ti les. The belfry, on the other hand, has a square plan, and an interior stair built into the wall. Both are plastered outside as well as inside and are made with roughly hewn blocks of Moltrasio stone.

Via Provinciale Regina, 36 - Tremezzo Built in 1676, it gets its name from the former owners De Carli, and is situated near Villa La Quiete, on the top of a slope joined to the road by a very striking long staircase. It has sober architectural lines and an elegant park. Currently, it is also known as Villa Pirelli, from the last owner’s name.

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chiese...................................................pag 1 palazzi..................................................pag 5 musei....................................................pag 9 monumenti e strutture..........................pag 13 teatri.....................................................pag 21 varie......................................................pag 23

© Mindi 64

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The most enjoyable way to visit and admire the beauty of the lake is definitely by boat. And this activity goes back a long way: the first steamboat, the Lario, was launched in 1826. The nineteenth century was also marked by fierce competition between the two main boat companies, the “Società Lariana” and the “Società Italiana”, which both collapsed in 1953. The largest boat ever to have sailed on the lake, the Lombardia (63 metres long), was also built in the same period. The most important development occurred in the 20th century, though; after the Second World War, the boats were adapted to modern construction technologies, and the old steam engines were abandoned in favour of diesel engines. Today, tourists can reach all the locations on the lake through an efficient navigation service, comprised of boats, ferries or steamboats. Numerous cruises are also offered on the lake. But for those who wish to relive the romance of the past, there are still some original steamboats operating, including the Concordia, built in 1926 and equipped with its original steam engine, and the steamboat Patria of 1926, famous for having had King Vittorio Emanuele III on board in 1927. For information on times and charges for boat trips, consult the website: www.navigazionelaghi.it VILLA ITINERARY BY BOAT ITINERARY: Como – Cernobbio – Blevio – Moltrasio – Carate Urio

DURATION: about 2 hours This itinerary uses the service provided by the company Navigazione del Lago di Como, which goes round the first basin of the lake without stopping in about two hours, starting from Como and calling at Cernobbio, Blevio, Moltrasio and Carate Urio. Starting from Piazza Cavour in the centre of Como, the boat will follow the shore of the lake, allowing you to admire the characteristic lakeside towns and villages, as well as magnificent villas. You will pass Villa D’Este (a sumptuous 17th-century abode), Villa Pizzo (16th century), Villa Erba (from 1897), Villa Le Rose, Villa Passalacqua, the bathing resort of Moltrasio and the Oratorio di S. Rocco (15th century). A short distance away is the famous Villa Scalfi, where the composer Vincenzo Bellini, one of the most famous opera writers of the nineteenth century, completed a number of pieces. Continuing, we come to the little port with the Rowing Club, the Castello di Urio (with wonderful gardens and terraces), the Romanesque bell tower of the Church of Santi Quirico e Giovita, Villa Fuoco (former abode of the famous ballerina Sofia Fuoco, now called Villa “Baragiola Carcano”) and, lastly, Villa Ripiego del Conte Triulzio (today known by the name of “Viganotti – Giusti”). The itinerary ends in the picturesque little port of Carate Urio, where you can admire one of the few “cargo” boats still existing on the lake.

© Giovanni_Novara

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NAVIGATION

NAVIGATION ON LAKE COMO

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THE HISTORICAL VILLAS This remarkable region has a wealth of magnificently picturesque spots, made even more beautiful by dwellings that are an eloquent testimony of man’s industriousness and creativity in natural surroundings. Indeed, on Lake Como it is only too easy to find magnificent villas surrounded by age-old parks, archaeological remains, primitive settlements, bastions and fortifications. But it is worth taking a closer look at all the itineraries that allow the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit these parts every year to discover the charming historical

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Palazzo Gallio

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Villa Bagatti Valsecchi

villas. These pearls, surrounded by colourful gardens containing plant species from all over the world, are a unique artistic and historical heritage. Indeed, important writers, poets, actors, politicians and illustrious people have stayed here, including Vincenzo Bellini, Verdi, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, Alfred Hitchcock and Alessandro Manzoni; all great personalities who have made a fundamental contribution towards the fame and cultural importance of these exceptional places.

Via Regina Levante 2 - Gravedona Built in 1586, for political and strategic purposes more than aesthetic ones, upon the ruins of an old castle, it was designed by Tibaldi at the instigation of the Cardinal and Secretary of State Tolomeo Gallio. The imposing square block, with four massive towers, looks like a large fortress, with loggias one above the other that also open on the façade overlooking the lake. The interior does not have very lavish furnishings or works of art. It is currently the headquarters of the association Comunità Montana Alto Lario Occidentale. Open Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 16.30. Free.

Via Carlo Galbiati - Grandola ed Uniti The villa is set in a large park and has a small tower and two courtyards on different levels, around which the building extends. The lower courtyard opens onto the village square, from which it is separated by a gate. The upper one is enclosed by a loggia of columns. The garden is one of the most unusual in Lombardy, due to the exceptional landscape in which it was designed and built.

Admission by reservation in groups of 15 people minimum. Tel 0344/30226. € 14.50.

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Villa La Collina

Via Roma 11 - Griante Built by the Suardi family, owners of Hotel Cavour in Milan at the time, in 1899, it stands upon the ruins of a Mediaeval watchtower that once dominated the whole lake from a promontory. It has a fantastic position with breath-taking views over Bellagio, and is a large bourgeois home, but not grandiose like the aristocratic ones, in line with the trend for lakeside homes in vogue at the time. It has been the headquarters of the association Fondazione Adenauer since 1977, which has equipped it as a meeting centre. Admission to the garden by appointment. Tel 0344/44111. € 7.

Castello di Marne © Cruccone

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

LAKE COMO

Villa Carlotta

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Teresio Olivelli Council Park

SS340 13 - Tremezzo Villa Carlotta is a place of rare beauty, where beautiful natural scenery and masterpieces of human ingenuity live in perfect harmony amid over 70,000 sq.m. of gardens and museum buildings open to the public. This magnificent stately home was commissioned at the end of the 17th century by the Marquis Giorgio Clerici. An imposing, but sober building, surrounded by an Italian-style garden with statues, stairs and fountains, it was built in a natural basin between the lake and the mountains, in front of breath-taking scenery.

Via Provinciale Regina 24-26 - Tremezzo The current design of the garden is that of Pietro Lingeri, a member of the Como group of Rationalist architects. Appointed in 1925 by the then owners, the Meiers, Lingeri is also responsible for the overpass over Via Regina, the imposing backdrop with a double stairway, the fountain with sculptures, the belvedere, the summerhouse and the jetty on the lake. The park is a modern reinterpretation of the gardens of Baroque Rome. It has been the property of Tremezzo Council since 1979.

Open from 7 to 1 am (hours may be subject to changes). Admission free.

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Villa la Carlia

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Villa del Balbianello

Via Provinciale Regina, 36 - Tremezzo Built in 1676, it gets its name from the former owners De Carli, and is situated near Villa La Quiete, on the top of a slope joined to the road by a very striking long staircase. It has sober architectural lines and an elegant park. Currently, it is also known as Villa Pirelli, from the last owner’s name.

Via Balbianello - Lenno The Villa was built in 1787 by Cardinal Angelo Maria Durini upon a pre-existing Franciscan monastery. On his death in 1796, it was bought by Giuseppe Arconati Visconti, who made a number of improvements to the garden and the loggia. In the 19th century it belonged to the Porro-Lambertenghi family. In 1819, it was visited by the Italian writer Silvio Pellico. In 1974 it was bought by the explorer Guido Monzino, who left it to Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano. Open from mid-March to mid-October, closed Monday to Wednesday. Tel 0344/56110. €6 garden. www.fondoambiente.it

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

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Villa Rachele Beccaria

Via Statale - Ossuccio Erected in the first half of the 18th century, it was completely altered at the beginning of the following century, when it acquired the form it has today. It is surrounded by the lake on one side, and by a network of old footpaths with stone walls on each side, and by the Premonte torrent. It was made famous by the many men of letters who came here: Alessandro Manzoni, a relative of the Beccaria family, also appears to have stayed here.

Admission by appointment. Tel 0344/55108. € 7.

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Villa Del Balbiano

Piazza Cardinale Durini 4 - Ossuccio This 16th-century villa has a simple and sober façade looking right onto the clear water in front of it, where Cardinal Durini, who bought it in 1787, had a lighthouse tower built for navigators that was destroyed. Inside the villa you can still see the spectacular Baroque frescoes commissioned by the Recchi brothers in 1630, with medallions, putti and trompe l’oeil effects. Today it belongs to the Canepa family.

Admission by appointment only. Fax 0344/55476. Mail: [email protected]

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Villa Leoni

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Villa Passalacqua

Via Provinciale 1 - Ossuccio Commissioned to the architect Linggeri da Raffaele Leoni and his wife for the Leoni Malacrida family, who were industrialists in the confectionary business, it is extremely important for its architecture and has been listed as a historic monument by the Ministry of Culture. Situated further up the Via Regina, from its position it dominates the central basin of Isola Comacina and the nearby Santa Maria Maddalena complex. It was begun in 1941 and finished in 1944, the period of Como Rationalism in architecture. Admission by appointment. Tel 347/1066651. www.villaleonilocation.it

Via Regina 23-28 - Moltrasio This is one of the most prestigious historic homes in and around Lake Como. It has hosted numerous musicians, artists, writers and men of state over the centuries, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Vincenzo Bellini and Winston Churchill. The villa and its beautiful Italian-style gardens make a perfect venue for weddings, company events or just for a relaxing holiday. The building was built in the 18th century to a design by the Lugano architect Felice Soave.

Tel 031/756211. Email: [email protected]. www.thevillapassalacqua.com

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

LAKE COMO

Villa Bernasconi

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Villa Pizzo

Via Privata Bernasconi - Cernobbio Built at the wish of Davide Bernasconi, the villa is part of a complex including the factory works, the workers’ dwellings and a nursery school. Finished at the end of 1905, the combination and workmanship of the materials are reminiscent of the Milanese art deco period. However, the plastering and multi-coloured decorations are part of an overall plan that is still basically eclectic, although oriented towards the future.

Via Regina 40 - Cernobbio Situated on a promontory called “Pizzo” not far from Villa d’Este, the site was bought in 1435 by the rich Como merchant Mugiasca. The garden is very old and began to be enlarged and particularly well tended towards the end of the 18th century. The complex includes the main building, consisting of a single building with two floors, a few adjunct buildings, such as the glasshouses (built in the 20th century) and the Volpi Bassani mausoleum.

Open May to September from Monday to Friday. Guided tours for minimum 10 people. Tel 031/511262. € 10.

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The Valley Garden

Via Monte Santo - Cernobbio Entrance to this garden is either from Via Adda or from Via Plinio/ Via Monte Santo. It is a particularly moving place to visit for anyone that knows its history. For until the early 1980s, this area was an illegal dumping ground. Today it is a picturesque garden thanks to the work and tenacity of Sig.ra Ida “Pupa” Frati and the association she founded. Every year a concert is held here, and the event entitled “The most beautiful and scented rose in the garden”.

The park is always open and admission is free. www.ilgiardinodellavalle.org

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Villa Erba

Via Regina, 8 - Cernobbio Villa Erba in Cernobbio is one of the most important Italian lakeside villas of the 19th century. It was also the home of the director Luchino Visconti, and a special path associating the life of the famous director with the family villa was created here. His most important films, from The Leopard, to Ludwig, to The Damned are all permeated with his love for this lakeside home. Today it is an important exhibition centre.

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

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Villa d’Este

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Villa Allamel

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Villa Parravicini Revel

Via Regina 40 - Cernobbio Built in 1568 as the summer residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio, it later incorporated a second building dating from 1860. The two buildings together form one of the most luxurious European residences to become a luxury hotel today. It has a large park, and inside the halls are valuable frescoes. The English-style garden contains age-old trees and a 16th-century mosaic with a nymphaeum. In 2009, the magazine Forbes rated it the best hotel in the world.

Piazza Roma, 7 - Cernobbio Built in 1846 by the Milanese Stefano de Colli, the villa stands on a rampart overlooking the lake in the old centre of Cernobbio. The building has a “C”-shaped plan with two floors and an attic. The garden has a pergola with columns next to the harbour, a berceau situated on the rampart overlooking the lake, a marble floor mosaic and, at the entrance, a glass and wrought-iron canopy in art deco style. It has belonged to the Allamel family for many decades.

Via Museo Giovio 6-20 - Como Commissioned by the Rezzonico family, the villa was built at the beginning of 1790 for Duchess Visconti, partly upon the foundations of a pre-existing house. It is an elegant building on two floors, with the ground floor raised by a short staircase. The façade, facing the lake, is decorated with half columns topped with ionic capitals. In 1950 it became the property of Count and Countess Parravicini. Today the upper floors are divided into apartments. The garden is worth a look.

Admission by appointment only, subject to a charge. Tel 031/572431.

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Villa Gallia

Via Borgo Vico 199 - Como This is the oldest of the Borgo Vico villas, built on the site of Paolo Giovio’s 16th-century villa “Il Museo”. It still has its original sumptuous pictorial decoration: the interior walls are broken up by a row of dense fluted columns, painted by Isidoro Bianchi. The spaces in between are filled with frescoes of mythological figures, painted by Morazzone. There is a wooden lacunar ceiling with carved rosettes and the floor is in polychrome marble. The current building dates from 1615.

Admission by appointment only. Tel 031/230816.

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

LAKE COMO

Villa Saporiti

Via Borgo Vico 163 - Como Built in 1793 to the design of Leopold Pollack, it has two completely different facades. The one in via Borgo Vico is more sober, while the one facing the lake is more monumental and spirited. In the latter, the dominant motif is the exedra, on which most of the decoration is concentrated: columns in Doric style are topped by sandstone statues representing Jove, Juno, Mars, Venus, Apollo and Neptune. There is rich decoration in the interior, particularly in the Salone d’Onore, or Hall of Honour.

Admission by appointment only. Tel 031/230816.

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Villa Geno

Viale Geno 12 - Como The basic construction was begun at the end of the 18th century, but remained unfinished until 1850, when the Marquis and Marchioness Comaggia Medici commissioned the architect Tazzini to build a villa in late Neo-classical style with a large park, drives and paths full of vegetation and different plants, all in a wonderful position. At the beginning of the 20th century, the property was bought by Como City Council and converted. At the moment it is the premises of a well-known restaurant.

www.villageno.com

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Villa Olmo

Via Simone Cantoni - Como Villa Olmo is the most famous and sumptuous historic home in and around Como, and it made Como one of the propelling forces of the Enlightenment in Italy. It was designed by the Italian Swiss Simone Cantoni at the behest of Innocenzo Odescalchi and finished in 1812. It has become the cradle of culture in Como, given its role in recent years as the venue for major events such as the Impressionists exhibition, the Rubens and Magritte exhibitions, as well as meetings and other types of exhibitions. Open 9 am to 7

pm in Winter, and from 8 am to 11 pm in Summer. Admission free. Tel 031/252443.

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Villa Dozzio

Via per Cernobbio 26 - Como Erected in 1852 in Tavernola by Bianca Bignami Cabrini, a famous patriot of the Risorgimento. Surrounded by a huge Englishstyle park, which sets off the elegance of the plastering and the mansards on the attic floor, when seen from the lake it stands out clearly against the rest of the coastline. At the turn of the 20th century the building was inherited by the honourable Ugo Dozzio, and it still belongs to his descendants. The pinkish colour of its walls is very distinctive.

The villa is privately owned and therefore not open to the public.

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

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Villa Brambilla Durini

Via per Cernobbio 24 - Como Owned by the Marquis Trotti in the 18th century, the villa is a small and attractive building, with the typical features of a chalet: timber decorations and wainscoting, steeples and sloping roof. In 1898 it was bought by the Milanese industrialist Angelo Brambilla, who converted it into a building centred on nature. Today, Carlangela Durini di Monza, Brambilla’s niece, keeps this property with the same sober elegance as in the past.

Guided tours by appointment, except Saturday and Sunday. Tel 031/570039. Admission free.

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Casa Prandoni

Via Plinio 12 - Torno Founded in 1954 at the wish of the Prandoni family, expressed in a will, and thanks to the generosity of Pia Prandoni, today it is a home for the elderly that occupies a large part of the promontory marking the end of the basin of Lake Como. The entrance is along the picturesque steps leading from the town hall down to the lake, by the pier and church of S. Tecla. The park is set in one of the most scenic spots of the village and extends over different levels. Open to the public by appointment on weekday afternoons from May

to September. www.casaprandoni.it. Admission free. Fax 031/417080.

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Villa Pliniana

Via Cesare Poggi - Torno The villa is isolated, surrounded by vegetation and rests on the surface of the water. Its name comes from the spring nearby, which was described by Pliny the Elder in his famous Historia naturalis, and also visited by Leonardo da Vinci (who described it in the Codex Leicester). The villa built at the end of the 17th century soon became one of the most famous in Lake Como and the place to be for illustrious writers and literati, including Stendhal, Byron and Foscolo. The villa is privately owned. Occasional guided tours are organized by the Torno Council. www.comune.torno.co.it

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Villa Melzi d’Eril

Via Melzi d’Eril 12 - Bellagio This is a private historic home in Bellagio owned by the Melzi d’Eril family from 1805 and, together with the surrounding estate, declared a national momument. Its magnificent English-style gardens, full of rare and exotic plants, and the orangerie, where the orange trees were kept in winter, are particularly worth a visit. Today it is a museum containing valuable relics from the Napoleonic period. The Japanese garden is also worth a look.

Open from March to October every day from 9.30 to 18.30. Tel 339/4573838. € 6. www.giardinidivillamenzi.it

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

LAKE COMO

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

Via Roma 1 - Bellagio The villa was built in 1850 as the summer home of an aristocratic family of Bergamo. In 1873, however, it was decided to convert the building into a luxury hotel. Today, the Grand Hotel Serbelloni is one of the oldest and most elegant in the whole area of Lake Como. Owned by the Bucher family for 3 generations, it is set in one of the most beautiful scenic spots in the world, with magnificent views over Lake Como and the Alps. The Salone Reale, or “royal hall”, is also magnificent. Admission by appointment at

weekends in April and May, free of charge. Tel 031/950216. www.villaserbelloni.com

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Villa Serbelloni Gardens

Piazza della Chiesa - Bellagio This large park occupies most of the promontory with huge areas and tall trees. Among these wind paths leading to clearings, English-style gardens and a series of terraces, with rose gardens and yew and boxwood hedges, clipped into different geometric shapes. The panoramic terraces facing the Lecco and Como branches of the lake, which open along the paths, are very spectacular. Flaubert wrote of this marvellous area: “one would like to live here and die here”. Admission from 15 March to 15 November (at 11.00

and at 15.30, minimum 6 people), Tuesday to Sunday. Tel 031/951555. €9.

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Villa Monastero

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Villa Isimbardi or dei Cipressi

Via Roma 13 - Varenna Villa Monastero originated from the continuous rebuilding of the old Cistercian convent of Santa Maria from about 1208. Its foundation is probably related to the religious settlements on the opposite shore of the lake: the monastery of Santi Faustino e Giovita on Isola Comacina, where the refugees of 1169 came from. The staircase, built with multi-coloured marble, ceramics and stuccoes, is particularly interesting.

Via 4 Novembre, 22 - Varenna Originally very old, this complex of buildings and green spaces underwent various alterations between the 15th and 19th century. It belonged to the Serponti family and, in the 19th century, to the Isimbardi family. The current Neoclassical design, especially of the lakeside façade, is due to the intervention of Enrico Andreossi, towards the second half of the 19th century. The wonderful garden, adorned with rows of cypress trees, is built on terraces sloping down towards the lake. 52

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

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HISTORICAL VILLAS

LAKE COMO

From Como, it is possible to reach the village of Brunate by the famous Como-Brunate cable car, inaugurated in 1894 and soon afterwards becoming the symbol of the development of public transport at that time. Brunate, known as “the balcony of the Prealps”for its splendid position overlooking Como, the lake, the plain and the Western Alps, is also famous for its numerous villas and for the Faro Voltiano, the lighthouse built in 1927 to commemorate the centenary of the death of Alessandro Volta. Going back up the Western shore (the most frequented) and proceeding beyond Cernobbio, you come to nearby Moltrasio, where the musician Vincenzo Bellini and the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once stayed. After Laglio, an old town of Roman origins, most famous as the residence of the actor George Clooney, Brienno is one of the most characteristic towns of the lake. It has been practically unaltered over time, with old lanes, balconies covered with flowers, narrow stairs called “alleys”leading to the “oven” square and the old spinning mill near the pier. The only island on the lake is Isola Comacina. Although small, it has a rich history. In the Middle Ages it was an independent stronghold that allied itself with the commune of Milan during

the ten-year war against Como (1118-1127). Como was defeated, but with the aid of the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and going against all the communes of the Lombard League, the people of Como got their revenge, destroying the stronghold in 1169. The remaining buildings are the 17th century little church of San Giovanni, the inn with restaurant attached (famous for the director Alfred Hitchcock’s stays here) and the small rationalist constructions of the architect Pietro Lingeri. The ruins of the old Basilica di Santa Eufemia symbolize the history of the lake, commemorated every year at the Feast of San Giovanni. Isola Comacina looks onto a bay known as “Zoca de l’oli” (place of oil), so called because of the calm waters of the lake and for the olive trees that grow wild here. The bell tower of Santa Maria Maddalena di Ossuccio has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, together with the Sacro Monte above it. A little further on is the peninsular of Lavedo, which borders the Gulf of Venus and culminates in Villa Balbianello, owned by FAI (Italian Environment Fund). Some of the scenes from films such as Piccolo Mondo Antico (Old Fashioned World), Star Wars and Casino Royale were filmed here. Continuing back

Villa Balbianello © Ezioman

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ITINERARIES

INTERESTING ITINERARIES

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up the Western shore you come to the towns of Tremezzo, Cadenabbia and Griante, the latter formerly the holiday place of the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, and a traditional tourist location for Britons and Americans. A visit to the gardens of Villa Carlotta and an excursion to the little church of San Martino are a must. The Northern part of the lake has a decidedly more solitary feel. After Rezzonico you come to Dongo, known as the place where the final act in the history of Fascism was carried out, with the capture of Benito Mussolini and his execution at Giulino di Mezzegra. A little further on, Gravedona is the site of one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Lombardy, the Church of Santa Maria del Tiglio. At the Northern end of Lake Como, where the Mera and Adda rivers flow into it, is the nature reserve of Pian di Spagna, a flat area of great natural interest surrounded by lakeside campsites. The itinerary proceeds along the Eastern shore, beyond Colico, with the small lake of Piona and the nearby Cistercian abbey of the 11th century, a real gem and a haven of peace and serenity. Behind it is the mass of Monte Legnone, while just a little to the South is the picturesque town of Corenno Plinio, a hamlet of the municipality of Dervio, famous for its sports, particularly sailing and windsurfing. From here, you go down to Bellano, a flourishing tourist and industrial centre, famous for its gorge. This natural ravine formed 15 million years ago from

the waters of the river Pioverna, which hurtle into a narrow passage between high rocks, and can be visited by means of hanging footbridges. Varenna, on the other hand, is known for Villa Monastero and the Castello di Vezio. Built around 1100, the latter was an ancient military stronghold linked to Varenna and used from the time of Queen Teodolinda as a watch tower. You can then continue towards Lecco, going past Mandello del Lario, an important tourist centre dating from Gallo-Roman times and home of the prestigious motorcycle firm Moto Guzzi since 1921. Take the car ferry at Varenna and disembark at Bellagio, leaving the Eastern branch (less frequented) on your left, or take the main road that goes up to Esino Lario and the Grigne mountains. If you take the ferry, it is worth making a stop at Lezzeno, preceded by Villa Lucertola and the Grosgalli cliff, largely uninhabited and still a cradle of ancient beliefs in witchcraft, and at Nesso, known especially for its gorge and the mediaeval Civera Bridge. Quite another matter is the mysterious Villa Pliniana in Torno, whose guests once included Napoleon, Manzoni, Foscolo, Stendhal, Byron, Verdi, Bellini and Rossini. Leonardo da Vinci studied the intermittent source springing from a rock, today enclosed in the interior courtyard of this building. Italian novelist Antonio Fogazzaro set his novel Malombra here, which gave rise to the scenes from the film of the same name by Mario Soldati. Going down the main road of the lake past Blevio, Como suddenly reappears.

Abbey Piona © vampirogordo

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ITINERARIES

LAKE COMO

These are very generous lands for nature lovers and excursionists. With so much natural beauty all around, there are many possible itineraries, either on or around the lake or in the mountains, amid unspoiled landscapes surrounded by vegetation or in the heart of historical towns with a wealth of architecture and monuments of great interest. The ensuing picturesque scenery therefore has all the potential to attract a large number of visitors. Paragliding on Lake Como The Alps and Lake Como are a really delightful setting; and as if that were not enough, this area also gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience not to be missed: paragliding. This is the simplest and lightest means of free flying; it is designed to take off using the thrust of the pilot’s legs, and to fly using only the energy of the wind and of gravity. Obviously, the paraglider used is the “tandem” type. During your flight you will be accompanied by an expert, qualified pilot from the Aeroclub d’Italia. During your“trip” you will be seated in the front with the pilot behind you. All you have to do is very easy: just a quick run on a field sloping slightly downhill. If you do this, you will

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soon find that the land is beginning to slip away from beneath your feet. If you then cry out in amazement, wonder and a touch of fear “I’m flying!”, it is quite understandable. But all you need do at this point is simply enjoy the flight, let the wind caress your face and admire the wonderful view from high above. The flight lasts about thirty minutes, with differences in altitude of well over 800 metres. Landing is not particularly difficult, given the low speed of flight and the small space required for landing. You will land gently on the ground without having to do anything except stay on your feet. Once you have landed, you will almost certainly be lost for words and be aware of a sense of unease, almost, at being back on the ground. It is almost impossible to be disappointed by this exhilarating experience. Climbing on the Grigna The Grigna is the highest peak in the Grigne mountain chain, a mass of alpine rock situated near Lecco. It stands between Valsassina on one side and the Eastern Branch of Lake Como on the other. In summer, this ascent is a normal excursion with a sizeable difference in altitude. In winter it becomes an easy mountain climb.

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SPORT AND NATURE

SPORT AND NATURE

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golf courses

A.S.D. MENAGGIO & CADENABBIA GOLF CLUB 18 holes Via golf, 12 - Grandola ed Uniti (CO) +39 0344 32103

A.S.D. GOLF CLUB LANZO

9 holes Loc. Piano delle Noci - Lanzo Intelvi (CO) +39 031 839060 www.golflanzo.it

CIRCOLO GOLF VILLA D’ESTE 18 holes Via per Cantù, 13 - Montorfano (CO) +39 031 200200 www.golfvilladeste.it

GOLF CLUB MONTICELLO A.S.D. 36 holes Via Volta, 4 - Cassina Rizzardi (CO) +39 031 880207

GOLF CLUB CARIMATE

LA PINETINA GOLF CLUB

GOLF CLUB LECCO 18 holes Fraz. Pizzighettone Annone di Brianza (LC) +39 0341 579525 www.golfclublecco.it

18 holes Via Airoldi, 2 - Carimate (CO) +39 031 790226 www.golfcarimate.it

18 holes Via al golf, 4 - Appiano Gentile (CO) +39 031 933202 www.golfpinetina.it

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golf courses

LAKE COMO

The culinary traditions of Lecco have formed on the basis of the resources the area has been able to offer through the years, particularly fishing in the lake and the Alpine pastures. Freshwater fish, the main component of local food, is the starting point for a number of typical dishes, such as: boiled rice, risotto with perch, fried

whitefish in a vinegar marinade, with onion and wild thyme, fried bleaks and another local fish called “misultin” or “missultitt”in the local dialect (they are gutted, salted, dried in the open air, then grilled and eaten with polenta). There is also a well-known kind of cake, Resegone, which was created by three Lecco pâtissiers.

Risotto with Perch

Ingredients: 800 g fillet of perch; 100 g butter; 25 g white flour; 12 sage leaves; 500 g of Arborio rice; 1.5 litres of fish stock; 1onion, ½ glass of dry white wine; salt to taste. Preparation: Chop the onion finely and soften it in a saucepan with 40 g of butter; add the rice and keep stirring. When the rice is hot, pour the wine over it and let the alcohol evaporate; (meanwhile) prepare the fish stock and keep it boiling hot. Add the stock using a ladle, one ladleful at a time, stirring all the time. Continue this procedure until the rice is cooked. For the perch fillets: brown part of the sage leaves in part of the left-over butter; dust the perch fillets in flour on a plate; fry them in the butter in a large pan until golden. Take out the fillets and keep them hot; once the rice is cooked, arrange it on a serving plate and place the fillets on top. Heat the remaining butter (20g) slightly, add the rest of the sage then pour over the risotto. Serve hot.

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FOOD

FOOD

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FOOD

LAKE COMO Polenta uncia (Mush with butter and cheese)

Ingredients: 300 gr. of corn flour, 250 gr of white flour, 1750 ml of water, 250 gr of cheese “latteria”, 250 gr. of fat cheese; 250 gr of butter, 15 pieces of sliced garlic and salt. Preparation: In a copper kettle boil the salt water and add some butter. Put inside the kettle the the 2 types of flour and mix with fluently movement. in the middle of baking and at the end add the cheeses the butter and the pieces of garlic. Mix and serve soon.

Missultit “Agnoni essiccati”

Ingredients: 8 dryed “Agoni” (missultit), 8 spoons of white vinegar, 4 spoons of olive oil, a sprig of parsley. Preparation: Wash the fishes to eliminate the salt in excess. Cook on the Grill the fishes for few minutes in both sides. Sprinkle with white vinegar. Put the “missultit” on dishes with some olive oil and chopped parsley. This plate could be served with mush.

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BELLAGIO ALBERGO RISTORANTE SILVIO category: restaurant Via carcano, 12 22021 - Bellagio (CO) tel: 031.950322 RISTORANTE PIZZERIA BELLAVISTA category: restaurant, pizzeria Via nuova, 2 22021 - Bellagio (CO) tel: 031.951416 ENOTECA CAVA TURACCIOLO category: restaurant Salita genazzini, 3 22021 - Bellagio (CO) tel: 031.950975 Closed Wednesday

BELLANO CROTTO DI BIOSIO category: restaurant Via frazione biosio, 1 - biosio 23822 - Bellano (LC) tel: 0341.821362 RISTORANTE PIZZERIA BERNINA category: restaurant, pizzeria Via stoppani 6 23822 - Bellano (LC) tel: 0341.810173

BRIENNO CROTTO DEI PLATANI category: restaurant Via Regina, 73 22010 Brienno (CO) tel. 031.814038

BRUNATE TRATTORIA DEI BRACCONIERI category: restaurant, typical restaurant Via Roma, 1 22034 - Brunate (CO) 60

tel: 031.364183

CERNOBBIO VILLA D’ESTE VERANDA category: restaurant Via regina, 40 22012 - Cernobbio (CO) tel: 031.3481 LA SOSTA category: restaurant, pizzeria Via battisti cesare 7 22012 - Cernobbio (CO) tel: 031.510508

COMO RISTORANTE VILLA GENO category: restaurant Viale geno, 12 22100 - Como (CO) tel: 031.300012 RISTORANTE LO STORICO category: restaurant Via domenico fontana, 19 22100 - Como (CO) tel: 031.260193 LA TANA DEI PESCATORI category: restaurant Via alessandro volta, 41 22100 - Como (CO) Closed Monday LA PIZZACCIA category: restaurant, pizzeria Via roosvelt, 11 22100 - Como (CO) tel: 031.269167 Closed Monday evening and Sunday at lunch OSTERIA L’ANGOLO DEL SILENZIO category: restaurant, typical restaurant Viale lecco, 25 22100 - Como (CO) tel: 031.3372157 Closed Monday and Tuesday at lunch

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FOOD

WHERE TO EAT

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LECCO RISTORANTE AL PORTICCIOLO 84 category: restaurant Via fausto valsecchi, 5 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.498103 Closed Monday and Tuesday TRATTORIA CORTE FIORINA category: restaurant, typical restaurant Via bovara, 17 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.289160 Closed Monday and Sunday evening GROTTA ANTICA PIZZERIA category: restaurant, pizzeria Via francesco petrarca, 17 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.365408 Closed Thursday BORGO NUOVO category: restaurant, pizzeria Via ghislanzoni, 53 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.272429 Closed Monday evening RISTORANTE MEXICALI category: mexican restaurant Lungo lario piave, 14 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.363909 OSTERIA DEL TORCHIO category: restaurant, typical restaurant Vicolo granai, 12 23900 - Lecco (LC) tel: 0341.282737 Closed Wednesday

MENAGGIO RISTORANTE PIZZERIA RED BAY category: restaurant, bar Piazzale vittorio emanuele, 7a 22017 - Menaggio (CO) tel: 0344.32259 Closed Thursday

FOOD

LAKE COMO RISTORANTE PIZZERIA LUGANO category: restaurant, pizzeria Via como, 26 22017 - Menaggio (CO) tel: 0344.31664 OSTERIA IL POZZO category: restaurant, typical restaurant Piazza garibaldi 22017 - Menaggio (CO) tel: 0344.32333

TREMEZZO LA DARSENA category: restaurant Via regina, 3 22019 - Tremezzo (CO) tel: 0344.43166 TRATTORIA LA FAGURIDA category: restaurant, typical restaurant Via rogaro, 17 22019 - Tremezzo (CO) tel: 0344.40676 Closed Monday

VARENNA RISTORANTE CROTTO DI PINO category: restaurant Via pino, 23 - fiumelatte 23829 - Varenna (LC) tel: 0341.815222 RISTORANTE VECCHIA VARENNA category: restaurant Via scoscesa, 10 23829 - Varenna (LC) tel: 0341.830793 Closed Monday RISTORANTE IL CAVATAPPI category: restaurant Via venti settembre, 8 23829 - Varenna (LC) tel: 0341.815349

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map of the lake

LAKE COMO

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