Museo Archeologico “Giovo”Porta Torre and Garibaldi’s statueVillasTempio voltianoChurches and other monuments

The lake One of the best known

lake in Italy, famous for its “Y” shape.Of Ice Age origin, it is the third largest Italian lake after Garda and Verbano, as well as Europe's deepest. It is surrounded by mountains and has a single little island, Isola Comacina, in the Como branch.

The“Y” of the lake

Museo Archeologico Giovio

Museo Archeologico Giovio

It illustrates prehistoric and Roman Como

Porta Torre Porta Torre was built by Federico

Barbarossa (RedBeard) after the destruction of Como by the Milanese, together with the rest of the medieval city. Garibaldi's statue, in the square before Porta Torre, reminds us that in 1859 the city was forever freed from Austrian dominion.

Villa Musa, Carminati , Saporiti…

The famous villas reflect a rich and thriving city, which centuries ago was already pervaded by refined elegance

Villa Musa, in art deco style Villa Carminati, an elegant

example of neoclassicism, Villa Saporiti, with precious

period furnishings Villa Parravicino Villa Gallia Villa Mondolfo Villa Olmo, famous for its

secular trees which decorate the large surrounding park .

Villa Saporiti

Villa Olmo

Villa Mondolfo

Villa Gallia

Tempio voltiano It is in neo-classical

style: built in 1927 for the centenary of Volta's death, it collects a number of instruments built by the great scientist to conduct his experiments on gas and electricity.

The Romanesque church of Sant'Abbondio, consecrated in 1095 by Pope Urban II. The

interior, with a nave and four aisles, contains beautiful paintings dating to the 11th century

and frescoes from the 14th.

Duomo• Duomo (cathedral), begun in 1398 on

the site of the previous Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The façade was built in 1457, with the notable rose window and two Renaissance statues of the famous Comaschi, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. The interior is on the Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles divided by pilasters. The transept wing and the relative apses are from the 18th century. It include a carved 16th century choir and tapestries on cartoons by Giuseppe Arcimboldi. The dome is by Filippo Juvarra.

Saint Fedele

• San Fedele, a Romanesque church erected around 1120 over a pre-existing central plan edifice. The contemporary bell tower was rebuilt in modern times. The main feautre is the famous Door of St. Fedele, carved with medieval decorations.

Public edifices or other sighs

• Broletto (ancient Town Hall) • Casa del Fascio, possibly Giuseppe

Terragni's most famous work. It has been described as an early "landmark of modern European architecture".

• Monumento ai caduti (by Giuseppe Terragni)

• Teatro Sociale (by Giuseppe Cusi) • Villa Olmo, built from 1797 in

neoclassicist style by the Odescalchi family. It housed Napoleon Bonaparte, Ugo Foscolo, Metternich, Emperor Francis Ferdinand I, Giuseppe Garibaldi and other eminent figures. It is now seat of exhibitions.

• Villa Melzi (1808-1810), with a magnificent panorama over the Lake. It has a famous giardino all'Italiana. According to tradition, Franz Liszt composed here some of his most famous piano sonatas.

• Villa Carlotta (c. 1690). It has an English-style park, and a collection of marbles by Canova, reliefs by Thorvaldsen and others.

• Ancient walls (medieval) • Castello Baradello, a small

medieval castle.