Piazza Cavour (Cavour Square), Como

Piazza Cavour (Cavour Square), Como (must see)

Cavour Square sits where Como鈥檚 old town fades into the lakefront鈥攁 stage that鈥檚 seen more reinventions than some opera houses. In the Middle Ages, this patch of ground was little more than a swamp. Fast forward to the 19th century, when Como decided its waterfront needed a facelift, and suddenly the marsh became a plaza worthy of national pride. They named it after Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, one of the masterminds behind Italian unification鈥攋oining the other illustrious Como personalities.

From here, the lake does its best impression of a painting. Boats slide across the water, the hills rise up green and steep, and if you squint, you can spot the Volta Lighthouse on the far ridge. To the west, the 1846 Hotel Metropole Suisse presides with its quiet confidence, while the east side offers the sort of caf茅s, trattorias, and gelato counters that can delay even the most determined sightseeing schedule. Street performers often add their own soundtrack, just in case the place wasn鈥檛 lively enough.

The square also knows how to party. Each June, swing bands bring back the 1930s and 鈥�40s for the Swing Crash Festival. December transforms it into a Christmas market, all lights and wooden stalls. And year-round, it serves as a launchpad: ferries to the lake towns, the cathedral a short stroll away, the funicular to Brunate just along the promenade.

As far as plazas are concerned, they are a meeting point. The best Count of Cavour role play is to reunite with your friends and close ones by breathing in the forever changing atmosphere of this square . Beware of the seagulls, for they might steal your gelato.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Como. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Piazza Cavour (Cavour Square)
Sight Location: Como, Italy (See walking tours in Como)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Como, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Como

Creating your own self-guided walk in Como is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Como Introduction Walking Tour

The Roman writer Pliny the Younger once wrote to his friend, 鈥淲hat is the news from Como, mine and your delight?鈥� Como is a place of palaces, churches, gardens, temples, museums, and parks. Its nearness to the spectacular Lake Como and the Swiss and Italian Alps has made the area a traveler鈥檚 delight from the time of Pliny the Younger to the present day.

Pliny wasn鈥檛 its first fan,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Como Lakeshore Walking Tour

English novelist Mary Shelley declared visitors to Italy are in danger of becoming: "enjoyers of the beauties of nature, the elegance of art, the delights of climate, the recollections of the past, and the pleasures of society." All this she found on the shores of Lake Como. From Roman writer Pliny the Younger onward, visitors and natives of Como would have agreed.

The alpine lake is... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

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