The History of Lake Como
Lake Como was discovered over 2,000 years ago by the Romans, who elected these surroundings as their favoured retreat. In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar took charge of Como, populated it with 5,000 "colonists", and named the lake Larius. The most famous sons of Como (then known as Novum Comum) were the two Plinys, both born there: Pliny the Elder, author of the celebrated Natural History in 37 books; and his nephew, Pliny the Younger, a Latin prose author.

Holiday villas have been popular on Como since the first century A.D., when Pliny the Younger had not one but two villas on the lake - one called Comedy, the other Tragedy. In the 19th century, Longfellow came to Lake Como to write, as did Tennyson. Composer Franz Liszt came here in 1837 and wrote his Dante Fantasia; Bellini wrote his opera Norma; and the dancer Taglioni lived at Blevio.

Until World War II, the lake provided paradise and comfort for the well-heeled. But, when Mussolini and Claretta Petacci, his mistress, were captured at the town of Dongo and shot in nearby Mezzegra in 1945, Italians shied away from Como. Twenty years later, a new crop of the elegant and famous began to move in.

Today, Como has become highly industrialized, but the town has been left intact and unspoiled. Most of the streets remain closed to all but pedestrian traffic. All of the factories are located on the outskirts of Como, which survives as the premier manufacturer of quality silk and textiles in the world.

One of the greatest historic achievements of Como was the formation of Maestri Comacini (master builders), consisting of builders, stonecutters, and decorators who, for centuries, were in demand all over Italy and Europe. The Maestri helped Como to become one of the wealthiest provinces of Italy.

This affluence is one of the primary reasons that Como is enjoyable for visitors; tourism is not considered its main financial resource. In fact, the major financial invigorators of Como are its textiles industry and furniture manufacture and design, with the tourism industry following a distant third. This has kept Como from being overbuilt with highrises, so that even during the peak of the season, the lake does not appear to be crowded.