There is no charge to walk through the main house and admire its contents, which include a variety of incredible frescoes, paintings, and statues. With cobbled streets and cozy squares lined with historic buildings, shops, and restaurants, the historic city center of Como is really cozy. In this post we went deep on all the different uses of these Spanish homonyms in order to clearly differentiate between como vs cómo. Como without an accent is generally used to introduce a situation or circumstance. It’s always followed by a noun (or a bigger clause acting as a noun) which it’s introducing. Como takes different English translations depending on its use, which can include like, as, as if, around, about, if… we’ll see each one of these below.
Though these technically fall into the categories we’ve already seen above, the cómo expressions we’ll introduce here are common enough that they merit explanations of their own. Before setting out by boat, check the day’s schedules carefully, so you’ll know when the latest one returns and from what town. Summer hydrofoil service is fast, but don’t expect to see anything en route.
- Telltale clues are words like preguntar (to ask, to question), decir (to tell), or saber (to know), which all hint at questions and responses.
- One of the best things to do in Como is to simply explore its old town on foot.
- If you continue along the promenade, you can walk all the way to the popular Villa Olmo.
- The 13th-century Cluniac monastery of Piona surrounds the 11th-century church of San Nicola and its beautiful Romanesque cloister.
Bellagio
The tall, narrow interior seems more like the earliest Christian basilicas and is decorated in 13th-century Gothic fresco cycles, in quite good condition. It isn’t until you enter that you’ll see why this church is hailed as Italy’s finest example of the 14th-century transition from Gothic to Renaissance styles. Polychrome painting and gilding on the side altars “update” the older look of the rose window and deeply carved main altar, but the mix is harmonious. I’m Jurga, a traveler with a camera, a mom of three boys, and the founder of Full Suitcase, one of the world’s leading family travel blogs. On this website, I share our family’s travel experiences from all over the world, coupled with lots of practical information and helpful tips for your trips. Here you can read more about me, my family, and how Full Suitcase can help you plan your own dream trips.
A funicular from the east end of the lakefront saves the steep climb up to the terrace settlement of Brunate, almost directly above Como. The views encompass the town and the southern lake, backed by mountains. Climb higher to reach a terrace (with a conveniently placed café) looking to the north, across a different panorama of lake and mountain views. As you can see, there is plenty to see and do in Como city so you can easily fill a day in town and its immediate surroundings. But you can also just visit for a few hours or stay for a few days – it really depends on your overall travel itinerary. There are lots of really good restaurants in the city where you can try all kinds of regional and local specialties.
This imposing building was donated to the city by Francesco Somaini, the owner of a cotton mill in Como. It now houses a museum dedicated to Volta’s life and work, containing personal memorabilia, an excellent collection of scientific instruments, and an early version of the electric battery. Porta Torre is one of the oldest landmarks in Como, and well worth a short walk to see it. This ancient gateway on Piazza Vittoria dates back to the 12th century when the city’s medieval walls were constructed. On the east side of the bay, you can visit Villa Geno, a small lido with lovely views of the villas on the west.
This use of cómo falls into the category of an exclamation or interjection. However, the meaning of cómo no is counterintuitive because, although it uses the negative, it’s actually an emphatic positive exclamation. A rail junction and tourist centre, Como is noted for its old established silk industry. It is the site of the National Institute of Silk, with large workshops and laboratories and vocational-training facilities. The villa is not open to the public, but the park is open for 90-minute guided tours (except during bad weather), which you must reserve at the Promo Bellagio office in Piazza San Giacomo.
With its wide, flat streets, Como is far easier to explore than many of the small, neighboring towns and villages. Plus, it is well-connected in terms of transport, making it a popular choice as a base from which to explore all the nicest places on Lake Como. “Como” when used with an orthographic accent (“cómo”), refers to an adverb. Just as we saw with indirect questions, we still need to use the accented cómo when there’s some implicit question in the statement.
Boat Trips
Located about 1.5 km from the top station of the Brunate funicular, the Volta Lighthouse (Faro Voltiano) is another popular place to see in Como. This hilltop lighthouse and memorial to Alessandro Volta sits yet much higher than the village, offering stunning views of Lake Como and the surroundings. This hilltop village sitting just above the city of Como is described by locals as a ‘balcony in the Alps’ – and what a fitting description that is! At an altitude of around 800 meters, Brunate offers glorious panoramic views over Como and the lake.
- It has since been restored to its former splendor and has been maintained by the municipality of Como since 1925.
- I hope this guide helps you get a better idea of what to expect and plan your visit.
- In past posts we’ve looked specifically at other Spanish homonyms whose main difference comes down to an accent, including por que vs porqué, cuanto vs cuánto, and donde vs dónde.
- This imposing building was donated to the city by Francesco Somaini, the owner of a cotton mill in Como.
Como: Without an accent
The most ornate of these is Villa Bernasconi, a short walk from the boat landing. The exterior is covered in intricate decorations representing mulberry leaves, silkworms, and other motifs como hacer una aplicacion web con python related to silk production. The villa was built in the early 1900s for the leading silk manufacturer, Davide Bernasconi. Inside, an interactive museum tells the story of the house and those who lived there. If you have one full day in Como city, you can see all the main landmarks mentioned in our guide, including Brunate village and Volta Lighthouse. If you want to actually visit a few places inside, take a boat tour, and enjoy some quiet time, we recommend 2-3 days for Como.
Conclusion: Como vs Cómo
Como’s spectacular lakeside promenade is the best in the entire Lake Como region. Extending to almost 6 kilometers in length, its crescent-shaped path is almost completely paved and perfect for a leisurely stroll. You couldn’t ask for better views, with homes built into the hillside on one side of you and boats going back and forth on the other. Don’t worry, we’ll go into all the details of how to use como and cómo in the sections below, but let’s at least start with a quick overview of their main differences.
It was originally built for the Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi towards the end of the 18th century and named after an elm that stood in the center of the garden at that time. Although most people find the gardens to be the true highlight, the villa itself is a house museum and open for tours. Look for the parish church, with a giant fresco of St. Christopher on its façade.
It dates back to the late 19th century and is one of the most popular attractions in the region. The journey only takes 7 minutes but it is hard to put into words quite how beautiful the scenery is as you ascend. To the west, your promenade walk will take you past Como’s Monument to the Fallen – a memorial honoring soldiers who lost their lives in World War One. If you continue along the promenade, you can walk all the way to the popular Villa Olmo. The Tempio Voltiano museum sits on the waterfront, too, along with many scenic gardens where you can simply sit and soak up the views.
Cómo: With an accent
In that case, start with a few hours in Como, followed by a fast ferry to Bellagio. Plus, you could easily spend an additional 3-4 days exploring the wider surroundings along the shores of Lake Como. As you can see, the town center is quite compact and you can easily walk everywhere. Villa Olmo or Volta Lighthouse – will require a longer walk and more time to visit. However, those trips are meant to get you from point A to point B, and not so much to show you the nicest places. Taking a scenic boat trip on Lake Como is a great way to see the city and the surrounding areas from an entirely different perspective.
como vs cómo
High above town, the terraced gardens are spread around the historic Villa Serbelloni, which was clearly built to maximize the views of Lake Como and the Alps beyond. The highlight of the gardens, which are carefully landscaped in the 19th-century Italianate style, are the rose gardens set in boxwood hedges. A long flight of stone stairs leads down into the terraced gardens of Villa Monastero. The formal beds of native and exotic plants that stretch along the shore have their share of statues, colonnades, and miniature temples, but with a relaxed and unfussy air.
It shows disbelief in the testimony or affirmation of a particular individual. In Colombian Spanish, we also use the word “como,” just like that, in the form of a question. This article will explain how we use the word “como” in Colombian Spanish. We remark that something occurs como si nada when we observe an unexpectedly nonchalant reaction to a situation we judge to be much heavier. This expression is not used to introduce anything else, but rather as a reaction on its own.
Suitable English translations for this use of como include as, however, and how. This usage of como is very common when we describe people, as we demonstrate in our post on physical descriptions in Spanish. Now let’s look in detail at the common uses and functions of como with no accent.