B o n g i o r n o... What a quant little Palazzo located next to Lake Como. Palazzo means square…read more Walk around on the ancient cobblestone streets to the many shops, eateries and churches. Plenty of Gelaterias for the ice cream addicts like myself. All though, it's a little hard to tell where one Palazzo ends and the other one starts, it's all one beautiful village.

This seems the same listing but with different name for the Como Cathedral. The duomo in Como is…read moredefinitely worth visiting, which is usually referred as the last cathedral built in Italy. It's very beautiful and spectacular both outside and inside, and it's the most impressive church in this area. I'd certainly recommend visiting here.

The name Villa Olmo is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm that no longer exists. It…read morewas built in the neoclassical style on the commission of Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi, from the family line of Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689). The construction of the Villa started in 1782 and finished in 1797. The director of the construction was Simone Cantoni, an eminent architect from Ticino who developed the original project drafted by Innocenzo Ragazzoni also from Ticino. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli. The Villa played host to a number of famous visitors, among the illustrious guests being Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 and Ugo Foscolo in 1809. Upon the death of Innocenzo Odescalchi in 1824, the villa passed to the Raimondi family who took it upon themselves to put the large piazza opposite the villa in order. Once again the villa was witness to historical visits and meetings; in 1835, the Queen of the Two Sicilies and the Queen of Sardinia were guests of the Raimondis. In 1883, the heirs of Marquis Raimondi sold the villa to Duke Guido Visconti di Modrone who decided to carry out a programme of restoration and improvement which would include the interior of the building. In 1924, the villa passed from the Visconti di Modrone to the city of Como. Thus began the fourth period in its history under the banner of Art and Science. On the centenary of Alessandro Volta's death in 1927, the villa hosted numerous local events, congresses, conventions, symposia and shows. Since 1982 it has been the home of the Alessandro Volta Centre of Scientific Culture and hosts many international events.

This villa would be better is a more boring place, but the lake outside is so much better that's…read moreit's probably not worth coming here unless you have time to burn. This was the least impressive attraction I saw here, but it's free.

There was a castle in San Vigilio but now it is reduced only to its base. The remains of the…read moreMedieval castle are still visible: the castle features four partially ruined towers from which you can picture of the scale of the ancient stronghold, and a well-preserved section of the surrounding walls. It has a park, a fantastic view and some underground areas including dungeons to explore. Take the Funicular at Colle Aperto (through the city doors) up to San Vigilio. Go right up the Via Castello, climb a flight of about 150 steps, and you are there. It's a lot of fun to explore - and the funicular ride is historic!

Take a cruise or a ferry to explore Lake Como…read more We booked a day trip from Milan to Lake Como with Ciao Florence. The public ferry was an interesting experience. Our family was able to find a place to stand on the top deck and eventually find seats. Our tour guide and group were scattered all over the ferry which made it a bit disorganized. The ferry itself was amazing. The views were magical on a wonderful sunny Friday. When our guide finally located most of the group that had migrated to the top floor, he gave us a bit of insight into Villa Carlotta. The history is one with many families involved. Originally built on ancestral land by the Clerici family who became successful silk merchants. The country estate and gardens were built in the 1690s. As with many wealthy families, the great grandson spent too much money building an extravagant palazzo, the Palazzo Clerici in Milan, which forced his heirs to see their Lake Como villa sold to cover their debts. Over the next couple of hundred years, the property continued to exchange hands until it was eventually was converted to a museum and gardens by royal decree. Nice to be able to see it from the ferry. Maybe next time, we will have more time to explore the villa and its gardens.

What an amazing place! It's a museum and a garden, the bottom floor is a cool interactive museum.read more