Top 20 Natural Monuments around Luisago

Some facts about Como and its beautiful lake: Lake Como, with a depth of no less than 410 meters, is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. During the Ice Age, the basin was carved out so deeply by glaciers that the lake bed lies more than 200 meters below sea level. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, the lake was a crucial, but dangerous, transport route. Archaeologists still regularly find Roman amphorae and shipwrecks on the bottom, which were used at the time to illegally smuggle goods and silk past customs posts. Isola Comacina, the only island in the lake, was completely destroyed in 1169 after a bloody war. The bishop of Como pronounced a curse: anyone who built or ate there would die a horrible death. Only in 1947 was the "curse" ritually broken by a restaurant owner, whose restaurant still operates successfully today. Does a secret Nazi treasure lie in the waters of Lake Como? Shortly before his arrest in 1945, Benito Mussolini tried to flee to Switzerland with a column of German army vehicles. According to legend, the "Treasure of Dongo" – millions in gold, jewels, and government money – was thrown into Lake Como at the time and has never been fully recovered. Finally, the world-famous physicist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery (volt), was born and raised in Como. The iconic neoclassical temple Tempio Voltiano on the shore in Como was built specifically to protect his earliest scientific instruments.

Artwork by Daniel Libeskind. The work brings together the elements – light, wind, and water. It is an installation and an ideal and physical gateway.

Very nice hike, easy to walk

Lake Como, or "Il Lago di Como" in Italian, is the third-largest lake in northern Italy, with a surface area of 146 km². It is surrounded by the peaks of the Alps, including the highest mountain, Monte Legnone, on the northwestern shore at 2,615 meters.

Lighthouse currently under maintenance (01/2025) - Ascent not possible

At the end of the beach promenade there is "suddenly" a huge building: Villa Olmo. Imposing park with a panoramic view of Como. The bike has to be pushed.

The monument “The Life Electric”, in honor of Alessandro Volta, will be erected in the middle of the first basin of Lake Como, on the last circular part of the breakwater opposite Cavour Square. Star architect Daniel Libeskind is the man behind the work: sleek, linear and deeply context-driven. At approximately 16.50 m tall, it resembles two sine waves opposing each other as they play on reciprocating curves and movements. The work itself interweaves energetic and scientific elements with natural elements. It marks the third pole of the area, as it is located between the Brunate Lighthouse and the Temple with Public Gardens, two other works dedicated, not coincidentally, to Volta. "Life Electric is inspired by the electrical voltage that occurs between the two poles of a battery, Volta's great gift to humanity. The form of this work emerged from my in-depth research into the representation of architectural energy. The piece combines the natural elements of light, wind and water. An installation, a physical and ideal gateway to the 21st century. Source: https://www.visitcomo.eu/en/discover/monuments/monuments-from-900/life-electric/index.html

Villa Olmo is a perfect example of Italian neoclassical style. Its elegance and charm didn’t go unnoticed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Giuseppe Garibaldi, who were two of the most notable guests of the villa. The villa began restoration work in early 2024, so its interior will not be open to visitors for about a couple of years. The gardens that surround it are open all throughout the year. Learn more here: https://lakecomotravel.com/villa-olmo-lake-como/