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# 82 AUGUST 22 , 2016
first electric generator, the Voltaic Pile, upside-down Y-form. The town of Como
now on view in the Physics Museum of is situated on its southwestern arm, Lecco on the southeastern arm, and Colico
Rome’s Sapienza University.
on that northern.
Lake Como continues to attract members of the international jet-set and ce- From the Lake’s shores, one can enjoy
lebrities that appreciate the evocative multiple, fascinating views: suggestive
beauty of the Lake and its surroundings. borgoes, splendid villas and lush garLake Como is located approximately dens await visitors in search of a little
31 miles from Milan, between the Pro- charm and relaxation, or a little culture
vinces of Como and Lecco, and it is the and contact with nature.
third-largest Italian lake, after Garda and
Maggiore. It is also the deepest, at 1,345 In Como, tiny city from which the Lake’s
name evidently derives, merits a visit
feet.
particularly for its Educational Silk MuThe Lake (one of Lombardy’s several in- seum, where visitors can learn about
comparable lakes) is of a characteristic the area’s traditional textiles production.
# 82 AUGUST 22
Breathtaking villas, one after the other,
encircle the lake, a resort destination of
the nobles of Lombardy since the 16th
Century.
Como is also considered the land of Italian artistic and architectonic rationalism;
thus one will find exemplars of modern
European architecture - the Novocomum, the Giuliani Frigerio House, the
Monument of the Fallen, and the former
Casa del Fascio - all the work of Italian
architect Giuseppe Terragni.
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2016
and the celebrated Villa Erba, one of the
most important Italian lake villas from
the 1800s - today it is an internationally-known convention and expository
complex.
Lying to the north is Ossuccio, beloved
for its spectacular Isola Comacina, the
Lake’s only island and, given the Sacro
Monte di Ossuccio, also recognized as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003).
In the nearby Comunes of Moltrasio and
Lenno, Passalacqua and Villa Balbianello
Cernobbio is the site of the Villa d’Este (used in films such as Star Wars: Episode
(1600s), location in Alfred Hitchcock’s II and Casino Royale) are important toucelebrated film The Pleasure Garden; ristic attractions.
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