SHARRYLAND
Where is
What it is and where it is
In Como you can find a building that, because of its simple structure and wooden decorations, might look like a chalet. In fact, it is its sign itself that tells us what it is: it is the cable car station that goes up to Brunate, a village just above the city, about 700 meters above sea level, from which you can admire the beauty of the lake panorama and enjoy some coolness during hot summer days. Why make such a special station? It is quickly said: Brunate used to be a luxury tourist destination and, to be honest, even today we can relive among its streets, following the echoes of the Belle Époque.
Why it is special
When you step off the cable car at Brunate, you immediately sense how the uniqueness of the architecture combined with a vast panorama of Lake Como and the Alps creates a relaxed and fulfilling atmosphere. Indeed, here begins a journey that immerses us in the luxurious life of the upper middle class who lived or vacationed here in the late 1800s and early 1900s. We almost seem to breathe in the crisp air that must have hovered among these streets in those years of growth, innovation, and splendor as we stroll among Art Nouveau and Eclectic villas.
Not to be missed
These are private homes, so you can hardly see their interiors, but every now and then some cultural event comes to our aid , such as temporary contemporary art exhibitions, multimedia installations, photo exhibitions, concerts in the gardens and what not. Personally, I had the pleasure of being able to visit them on the occasion of the Como event: "Le bellezze interiori," which took place at the end of September 2020 and allowed us to admire the gardens of the villas from the inside and attend very interesting events.
A bit of history
If for centuries it had been a small mountain village overlooking the lake, since the mid-1800s Brunate's proximity to the city of Como combined with the spectacular views from its streets began to attract the interest of tourists. Making the village more accessible was initially a mule track, then a road, but the real breakthrough was the cable car, inaugurated in 1894. Thus fashionable cottages and luxurious hotels sprang up, because tourism, at the time, was a thing for a select few. Just think: the Hotel Milan in Brunate boasted Italy's first elevator, imported from the United States!
Trivia
A peculiar fountain exists in Brunate. Made of concrete, it consists of a basin with a kind of stage backdrop with very strict lines: two fluted columns, and two rectangular panels. The first, centrally located, encloses a decorative frieze; the second, larger and placed at the top of the whole encloses what you would not expect: an advertising message! Well yes, this is one of the advertising fountains that Campari had built in various Italian municipalities. Only three remain today.
Panorama seen from the Brunate lighthouse - Ph: Ste Taglia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Enter the Map of Italy's Undiscovered Wonders and find treasures where you least expect it... Inspire, Recommend, Share...
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Where is
