Mystical allure of Lake Como

Niku Sidhu

Nestled in the embrace of the low slung Italian Alps north of Milan and sharing their borders with Switzerland are the dancing lakes of Lombardy. The most enchanting is Lake Como. It is shaped like a dancer caught mid-pose in unabashed abandon, frozen in eternity, head thrown back. The third largest, it spans 146 square kilometres and is 1300 feet deep. It holds you in its thrall the instant you catch the first glimpse from the lakeside station, Como Nord Lago. From here, the only acceptable way to explore is a piedi, on foot, through its narrow by-lanes opening on to grand piazzas.

The fierce rivalry between Como and Milan for cultural supremacy resulted in remarkable structures like the all-marble cathedral, circa 1396. It received a renaissance-style makeover by the 16th century; the octagonal cupola in gold and marble is an 18th century addition. A rose window above the entrance door is flanked by carved figures of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, prominent local citizens of the Roman Empire. The sculptures, altars, naves, paintings and tapestries are barely visible in the dimly lit interiors, kept that way to preserve them. The organ is remarkable.

The walled city hosts the 6th century Basilica San Fedele — named after a 4th century military martyr buried here. It is built in the renaissance style with a beautiful door showcasing medieval reliefs and motifs. Behind the church, a cog wheel funicular ferries you to the hill-top hamlet Brunate for great vistas. A number of popular hiking trails take you past the unexpected sight of a lighthouse at San Maurizio di Brunate. Piazza San Fedele boasts of two quaint half-timbered brick houses, one of which is now a bookstore called Ubik. Walk up to the top floor for a spectacular view of the surrounds before heading to the café next door for one of Europe’s top 10 most romantic coffee spots. Look out also for the ice cream parlour beyond Villa Olmo overhanging the lake to escape the bustle of the city centre.

Another gem is the Voltiano Temple. Standing tall on a square plinth, its entrance is flanked by sculpted likenesses of science and faith that speak volumes of an age-old conflict without uttering a word. It is in honour of yet another local hero — Alessandro Volta, inventor of the battery who lent his name to the electric measure, volt. This temple, built in 1927 to mark his death centenary, displays a number of scientific instruments and equipment used by Volta.

A ferry ride on the lake undeniably offers a closer, more scenic view of the private docking yards, and stairs to celebrity gardens and their drawing rooms beyond. If it tickles your fancy, carry binoculars; on a lucky day one may even spot pop diva Madonna, Hollywood star George Clooney, or Russian tycoons.

A number of villas embroidering the shore sport painted facades in the Milanese style. From afar, one may be fooled into believing the structure is rock solid; on closer inspection really just a sleight of mind, a cunning display of an artist’s skill! High maintenance costs have forced these villas out of the hands of erstwhile aristocrats; some taken over by the state and converted to museums and exhibition halls, some sold to hoteliers. Of these, the Villas Carlotta, Serbelloni, del Balbianello, and d’Este are a few among equals that merit a visit.

Built for Milanese Marquis Giorgio Clerici in 1690, Villa Carlotta is replete with fountains and sculptures, typical of Italian gardens, and occupies more than 17 acres across the Bellagio peninsula. It changed hands with a powerful banker and Napoleonic politician before it was purchased by Princess Marianne of Nassau as a wedding gift for her daughter Carlotta in 1843. It is today a museum of agricultural implements and important works of sculpture. Another, the Villa del Balbianello, sits on a promontory on the western shore of the lake. Its terraced gardens are one of the best in Italy and were recently featured in James Bond film Casino Royale. The Villa Melzi in Bellagio was built in the neo-classical style in 1810 as the summer residence of Duke Francesco Melzi d’Eril, vice-president of the Napoleonic Italian Republic. The villa is held privately but the gardens are open to public. Another, Villa Serbelloni, home to a remarkably grand staircase, believed to be the site of Pliny the Younger’s villa ‘Tragedia’, hosts the Rockfeller Foundation Center, a 50-acre residence for scholars’ from around the world.

In praise of Lake Como, this is what P. B. Shelley had to say to T. L. Peacock, “This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty, with the exception of the arbutus islands of Killarney”. We concur, Mr Shelley.

Factfile
Getting there: Air India flight Del-Milan Malpensa; local train from airport to Como de Lago with one change at Saronno.
Best season: Summer and autumn.
Activities: Sailing, windsurfing, kite surfing, hiking and seaplanes; walk to Di Punta, the point where the three legs of the lake conjoin.