Como
Departing from the shore of Piazza Cavour in Como, chief town of the province and center of commerce and industry (especially in the sectors of textiles and silk), the boat sails longitudinally along the entire basin for approximately four hours. Formerly a Celtic fortification, Como became "Castrum" under Roman rule in the first century B.C. More evident and of greater importance, is the testimony from the Romanesque period; examples may be found in the churches of Sant'Abbondio and San Fedele and in Porta Torre. In 1875, following the opening of via Plinio, Piazza Cavour was connected to the beautiful Piazza Duomo, the ancient religious and civic center of the city where the 14th cathedral stands completed with Juvarra's dome in the 18th century. Next to it is the Romanesque-Gothic "Broletto"- the old Town Hall- built in 1215, it too underwent subsequent elaboration. On the left shore lies the Voltiano mausoleum, a neoclassic temple erected in 1927 by Federico Frigerio for the centennial of the death of Alessandro Volta. Next to the temple is the War Memorial constructed in 1933 based on the designs of futuristic architect Antonio Sant'Elia. Not too far are the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium and the Novocum (1927-29). Created by Giuseppe Terragni, the stadium is one of the best examples of Italian rationalist architecture. Along the banks of the lake there are several beautiful 18th and 19th century patrician villas surrounded by greenery: Villa Paravicino, Villa Resta Palladici (also known as "the Rotonda"), which is the seat of Regional Administration, the Gallia, a residence built for Marco Gallio in 1615, and last and most important, the Villa Olmo, named for the large elm tree (olmo) which survived from the woods of Pliny the Younger. At the request of Innocenzo Odescalchi, the villa was constructed, based on the designs of Simone Cantini, at the end of the 18th century. Renovated one century later, the villa retained its neoclassic structure. Remarkable, on the opposite side of the shore is Villa Geno, which also belongs to the commune. This neoclassic structure, erected in 1850 based on a project by Giacomo Tazzini, is surrounded by a spacious public park in traditional Romantic-Age style.