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.

An impressive set of columns located in an eclectic area of the city. Worth the trip as there are…read moremultiple other sites to see and numerous cafes to have another or drink.

Oddly not a part of either of my walking tours, the Colonne di San Lorenzo has been here near Porta…read moreTicinese for 15 centuries and they're actually 200 years older than that, having been moved here in the 4th century after they existed elsewhere. Definitely worth a stop to admire their ancient grandeur if you are in the area. [Review 10671 overall, 439 of 2019.]

This former abbey was a rare treat to visit as a foreign tourist. Located in the tiny rural village…read moreof Morimondo, approximately an hour from central Milan, you'll find this beautiful former Cistercian monastery. Construction was begun in 1134 and not completed until 1296, and while the decoration may seem simple compared to many other Italian religious buildings, it is gorgeous and a lovely example of Gothic architecture. You will want to arrange with a tour guide to visit in order to have access to all rooms, including the scriptorium. Our English-speaking guide was excellent and I learned not just about this particular structure but the philosophy of the monks in their architectural choices and designs, how they lived and worshipped, and how and why they ended up in this location to begin with. I believe there is also a minimum group price for the tour visits; since it was (very) off season when we were there the organizer apologized for the fact that we had to pay the full group price for just three people but it was still very much worth it - and we were given a beautiful signed portfolio of watercolor prints of the abbey to "make up" the difference.

Villa Arconati is a rural palace and gardens, located north of Milan. A medieval castle existed at…read morethe site, and it was acquired in 1610 by Galeazzo Arconati, cousin of Cardinal Federico Borromeo. Under his ownership the castle-palace on the site was reconstructed and refurbished. Recently this villa has been opened on Sundays for Brunch. Very nice location, kind service and good food. Still room for improvements: the entrance to the Villa (7€) is mandatory also to access to the brunch service; brunch is available only starting at 12.00, therefore it's more a lunch than a brunch!

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is not only beautiful with high end shopping but it is much…read morelarger than I expected. I made way over to spinning the bull mosaic and there was a circle full of people just jumping in to spin the bull. It is best to visit the Galleria on a week day for the weekend is super crowded. I experienced both and I prefer the weekday 100%.

What and amazing meal, our server Jaba did a great job in recommending the dinner choices, and…read moredessert. His attention to detail was amazing. This was the best meal that we had in Italy on our vacation. and Jaba made this meal very special for us. Thank you!