Explore the historic quarter of Como on foot. Visit the glorious Gothic-Renaissance cathedral, hit the shops for fashion and silk – Como was once the centre of Italian silk production – and take a cable-car ride to the village of Brunate for wonderful views across Lake Como.
DISTANCE: 6km (3.5 miles)
TIME: A half day
START/END: Piazza Cavour, Como Town
POINTS TO NOTE: If money is no object, make an advance reservation for dinner in the Villa d’Este . Alternatively, a far cheaper option, which also requires advanced booking, is a cruise of the lake with lunch on board or an evening cruise with aperitivo (ask at the tourist office at Via Albertolli 7 for details). If escaping the crowds is a priority, download the tourist office’s excellent Lake Como is Green guide (in English and Italian) from www.visitcomo.ru.
The biggest resort on the lake, Como Town is a somewhat disconcerting combination of a historic city and a bustling commercial centre. The town has a fine lakeshore setting, an interesting medieval quarter with cobbled, traffic-free streets and some lustrous shops, but there is nothing approaching the intimacy and timelessness of the small villages beside Lake Como. Whether or not Como conforms to your idea of the perfect holiday resort, it is a handy springboard for exploring the lakes region and has a magnificent setting at the end of the western arm of Lake Como.
Piazza Cavour, Como Town
Neil Buchan-Grant/Apa Publications
Como Town’s history
Since its earliest days, when it rose to prominence as a Roman town, Como has been an industrious, aspirational place. Como’s most famous sons were Pliny the Elder (AD23–79), the Roman scholar who wrote the 37-volume Historia Naturalis (Natural History) and died during the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79, and his nephew and adopted son, Pliny the Younger (AD61–113), an author and lawyer, who is said to have owned at least two villas at Bellagio: one on the hilltop for study and reflection, and another on the lakeshore for hunting and fishing.
In the 11th century, it became a free comune (city state), but in 1127 it was destroyed by Milan for having sided with Barbarossa, the German Holy Emperor. From 1335 Como came under the sway of the Milanese ruling dynasties, becoming famous for its silk production .
Como’s cathedral
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Como Town and Brunate Cable-car
The Romanesque style, which is particularly pronounced in Como, has been woven into the city’s architectural fabric, from churches to fortified medieval towers. Many monuments also owe much to the craftsmanship of the maestri comacini, the medieval master-builders and sculptors of Como, who perfected the Lombard style and became renowned throughout Europe for their remarkable skills.
Begin this walk around town at Piazza Cavour 1 [map], the city’s waterfront square.
Life Electric sculpture by Daniel Libeskind, Lake Como
Shutterstock
Como’s Duomo
A little way inland along Via Caio Plinio II, Piazza del Duomo represents the best introduction to the medieval quarter, centred as it is on the splendidly solemn cathedral. The construction of the Duomo 2 [map] (www.cattedraledicomo.it/en/home-2/; free) began in 1396. Note the impressive gabled façade and observe how it spans the transition in style from late Gothic to Renaissance, with a richly sculpted main portal. Statues of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger occupy the niches to the left and right, respectively.
The interior is slightly gloomy but full of Renaissance works of art, including paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrari (c.1471/81–1546) and Bernardino Luini (1480–1532), two Lombard painters who were both influenced by Leonardo da Vinci.
Adjacent to the cathedral is the Torre del Comune (bell tower) and the pink-, white- and grey-striped Gothic Broletto, the former town hall.
Piazza San Fedele
Take Via Vittorio Emanuele II, the main shopping thoroughfare, to Piazza Medaglie d’Oro, then head back towards the waterfront. If you want to take a break for a coffee at this point, check out Aida, a historic café and pasticceria, at No. 34 on the attractive medieval Piazza San Fedele (on the left as you head back along Via Vittorio Emanuele II). Overlooking the square stands the basilica of San Fedele 3 [map] (usually daily 8am–noon, 3.30–7pm, closes earlier in winter), which was thought to be Como’s first cathedral. The Lombard-Romanesque church was the work of Maestri Comacini . It has been much altered over the centuries and was given a new façade in the early 20th century. Note the striking apse at the rear of the church.
Refreshment
From the square, continue towards the lake along Via Luini, crossing Via Cinque Giornate for Bolla at Via Boldoni 6, one of the best ice cream parlours in Como. Take the first left and left again for Via Vitani. At No. 16, the Osteria del Gallo, see 1 [map], is ideal for a light lunch.
Piazza Volta
From Via Vitani turn left (east) into Via Muralto and follow the street to Piazza Volta 4 [map]. Flanked by boisterous outdoor cafés, the square also has a statue of Count Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), a self-taught physicist who invented the battery and after whom the volt is named. In summer the square is a venue for concerts, as well as occasional sightings of George Clooney, Como’s favourite adopted son.
If you wish to investigate Volta’s legacy further, then walk to the western side of the harbour where you will find the Neoclassical Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple; Tue–Sun, Apr–Sept 10am–6pm, last admission 5.30pm, closed on Mon; www.visitcomo.eu/en/discover/museums/tempio_voltiano/index.html; charge). On display are Volta’s personal effects and the batteries that he invented. Far more exciting is the immense steel Life Electric sculpture rising at the end of the pier. Created by Daniel Libeskind in 2015 of calendared steel, the structure – inspired by sinusoidal waves – includes LED lights and smoke machines for nighttime displays. You can walk out to it along the Diga Foranea pier , just below the Tempio.
The basilica of San Fedele
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Sant’Abbondio
In a less salubrious area of Como, southeast of the centre, is the Romanesque gem of Sant’Abbondio (Via Sant’Abbondio; daily 8am–6pm, winter 4.30pm; free). The apse is decorated with a remarkable cycle of mid-14th-century frescoes of the life of Christ.
Return to Piazza Cavour. If the weather is fine, you might wish to have lunch in Brunate, which is set high above the city. Facing the water, turn right and follow the lakeshore north to Piazza de Gasperi, passing the city’s most upmarket cafés and hotels. The cable-car (www.explorelakecomo.com/go/brunate-funicular; charge) 5 [map] to Brunate leaves every 15 to 30 minutes until midnight in summer (10.30pm rest of the year), and the journey to the summit takes seven minutes. You can also walk up, along the Salita Carescione.
Once at the top, you can enjoy your lunch at the Bellavista Hotel & Restaurant, see 2 [map], 150m/yds from the cable-car station.
1 [map] Osteria del Gallo
Via Vitani 16, Como, www.osteriadelgallo-como.it
Simple, cosy, bistro-like trattoria with home-made dishes. €€
2 [map] Bellavista Hotel & Restaurant
Piazza Bonacossa 2, Brunate, www.bellavistabrunate.com
Family-run Restaurant Bellavista offers regional dishes based on recipes from the local area. €€
3 [map] Sociale
Via Rodari 6, Como, www.ristorantesociale.it
Close to the Duomo, the popular Sociale occupies the Palazzo Odescalchi, serving dishes made with local ingredients. €€
Evening stroll and dinner
In the evening, take a stroll along the waterfront from Piazza Cavour to the Villa Olmo 6 [map] (www.villaolmocomo.it; free). For dining, choose between the Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, two ferry stops away, or congenial Sociale, see 3 [map], just north of the Duomo.
View over Como from Brunate
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