LAKE COMO

Two small companies were set up in 1877: "Martino Novi & C." (headquarters in Como) and “A. Giussani” (headquarters in Lecco). They had small steamers which provided a service between Como and Lecco via Bellano and Menaggio. However, this service was not popular with the public. Both firms therefore had to shut down, and Giussani was taken over by the Società Riunite in 1884.
In 1884, the "Società Riunite per la Navigazione a Vapore sul Lago di Como" changed its name to "Lariana Società Anonima in Como per la navigazione a vapore nel Lago di Como" to mark the completion of the merger between the two original companies, which until that point had retained separate administrations.
In 1920, the “Lariana” company, as it was commonly known, bought shares in the Società Taroni, a motor-boat shipyard, and the Società Satal (Società Anonima Trasporti Automobilistici Lario)-Marchetti, which ran a car service, allowing land transport links to be expanded also. The company also implemented a provision in its by-laws which defined the company’s purpose as transportation, as well as by vessels on the lake, with railcars on the roads running around the shores.
August 1952 was the final expiry date of Lariana’s licence to manage navigation services.
Due to the company’s ageing fleet, debts inherited due to damages suffered during WWII and substantial running costs which had already caused the Lariana to request State funding, the Government Authority decided not to renew the licence. On 18th August 1952, the Ministry of Transport issued a decree stating that from that day on navigation services on Lake Como would be run under the Gestione Commissariale Governativa. The Commissione Governativa was installed on 21st August 1952: Ettore Parducci was appointed as Government Commissioner and he nominated Giordano Azzi as manager of the service.
Lariana’s employees were all re-employed by the Gestione Commissariale.

In order to give the navigation service a definitive structure, law n° 614 of 18.7.1957 replaced the clearly temporary Gestione Commissariale with direct management by the Ministry of Transport, Department for Private and Public Transport.