"Lago di Como" Top 5 Page for this destination Lago di Como by tpal

Lago di Como Travel Guide: 245 reviews and 586 photos

Villa Pliniana by Maxfield Parrish - Lago di Como

Real Life Fantasy

The print above belongs to my wife, Carol. It's by Maxfield Parrish. It's not an original by any means. It's not even poster size like most Parrish reproductions. It is, however, pretty old. The little 5" x 7 1/2" print belonged to Carol's Grandma Bessie. She loves it because it is a beautiful image but mostly Carol loves art that has a personal connection to someone in her life. Carol never thought much about the content of the image nor did she recall that the label on the back read Villa Pliniana Lake Como by Maxfield Parrish.

In the late winter of 2001, Carol and I decided we should share our lives together. When she moved in, she arrived with a large collection of art works which she had accumulated over many years from friends, relatives, acquaintances and the occasional stranger. Among all these was the little print which caught my eye. Noticing that it was by Maxfield Parrish and set on Lake Como my initial thought was that it was probably a stylized fantasy image not unlike most of his work. Still it was intriguing. We hung it in various places around the house and ultimately it became part of the background fabric of our lives ... there but rarely really noticed.

It is difficult to judge how much the little things in your life influence your decisions. Carol and I knew immediately we would be traveling often. Going to Europe was high on our priorities. I was interested in a leisurely trip to Northern Italy and Carol loved the idea. Carol's new job, our garden and several remodeling projects however put a pretty good dent in our time and our budget until this year. But now, finally, it was time to see if Lake Como could live up to Maxfield Parrish's "stylized fantasy".

Lake Como - A Postcard From Every View

View from our front door.

Lake Como is not a huge lake. It's sort of a 35 mile long upside down "Y". But it does have a lot of shoreline and a lot of little towns. In trying to decide how to structure this travel page it occurred to me that Lake Como seemed more defining as a whole than it did as individual towns, most of which we had never heard of before we arrived. As a result, I've listed this under the Virtual Tourist heading of Lago di Como. I will try as much as possible to group my tips by specific towns and make links where possible. I'm still kind of new at this, so several revisions may be necessary. Please be patient and continue to check back while this is under construction.

Lago di Como

If you are particularly curious about a specific locality click on one of the links below.
Bellagio
Argegno
Como
Gravedona
Isola Comacina
Lenno
Menaggio
Rezzonico
Tremezzo
Varenna

I apologize for any duplication you may find at these links from my Lago di Como pages. This, however, seemed like the most direct way to allow Virtual Tourists the flexibility to research their specific interests.

Last visit to Lago di Como: Sep 2004
Intro Updated Sep 12, 2005
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Reviews (31)

Bellagio - Pedestrian Boulevard Things to Do (10)

Before Bellagio was a Las Vegas namesake and a tourist mecca, it was a beautiful Lake Como village. It has, however,... more travel advice

Lenno on the Gulf of Venus - Lago di Como

Lenno - Secluded and Quiet Off The Beaten Path (9)

You have to pay attention to get to Lenno. Like so many of the interesting little towns around Lake Como, Lenno is... more travel advice

Tom & Carol,,,as good as it gets! - Lago di Como

Isola Comacina: Cappuccino and Local... Off The Beaten Path (9)

Our visit to Isola Comacina was perhaps the most relaxing portion of our trip. Probably because there is so little to do... more travel advice

Isola Comacina - The Church of San... Off The Beaten Path (9)

When you explore Isola Comacina you have to wonder why the ancient Byzantines of the area thought it was such a great... more travel advice

Restaurants (1)
Small Town Pride
Shopping (1)
Como - Silk! What Else Would You Expect?
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Comments (59)

icunme May 11, 2011 at 6:01 AM Report Abuse

Just a great tour here - wonderful photos/details - ahhh, that designer's eye! Grazie, mille grazie, Carol
Paolomusc Jan 28, 2011 at 8:05 AM Report Abuse

So glad you like the lake. It is where my family originated so I am very proud of it
balhannah Apr 17, 2009 at 1:43 PM Report Abuse

After reading your tips and enjoying your photos, this is a place I would love to visit. Those gardens! wow!
gkitzmil Feb 22, 2009 at 6:44 AM Report Abuse

Great insight and personalization. Thanks! I have only been to Como two times and fully enjoyed it
Sininen Mar 2, 2008 at 7:38 AM Report Abuse

You write so vividly, I could almost feel being there and the best thing is that next month we will be there! Great tips and photos.
barbskie Apr 4, 2007 at 1:47 AM Report Abuse

Great tip here! Beautiful domo. thanks for sharing. salut!
scottishvisitor Dec 8, 2006 at 11:03 AM Report Abuse

Your love of gardening shines through on this lovely page = the villas & lake look beautiful
Sten_F Oct 13, 2006 at 6:43 AM Report Abuse

Just came back from a vacation at Lago di Como. The first place we stopped for lunch was at this restaurant. Excellent food and a wonderful view of Villa Balbianello, which are not to be missed. Btw, I have a time-share apartment in Rumo di Consiglio.
807Wheaton Feb 27, 2006 at 4:51 PM Report Abuse

I think this place is on my list, somewhere - great pictures and narrative. I'll be looking forward to seeing your pages about France! Marcia
hojasdehierba Jan 7, 2006 at 8:25 AM Report Abuse

It must have been a delightful stay... Thanks for sharing it so well :). Cheers.