Start at Piazza Cavour, a beautiful little square located where the old town meets the lake. This is a popular meeting point with locals, packed with terraced cafes and bars. It’s hard to believe that the area was just marshland in medieval times and wasn’t transformed into an urban square until late in the 19th century.
Telltale clues are words like preguntar (to ask, to question), decir (to tell), or saber (to know), which all hint at questions and responses. Remember that cómo is just one of the question words, all of which have accents. To review the rest of them, go to our detailed post on the Spanish interrogatives. The best way to get there is by boat from Lenno, or on certain days, you can walk the trail to the villa.
In contrast, como is always used to introduce some noun or situation as a way to give some detail about it. Como can be translated in many different ways depending on the situation, including like, as, as if, or about. In many cases, a question isn’t introduced directly with a question word. As long as we’re looking to find out information that we don’t know, we still need to use an accented question word in these indirect questions.
Museo Civico
In these cases, the exclamation can be used to express surprise or emphasize an idea. Have conversations faster, understand people when they speak fast, and other tested tips to learn faster.
Other uses of the word “como” in Colombian Spanish
The frequent ferry (car and passenger) across the lake makes getting from Menaggio or Tremezzo, on the west shore, to Bellagio and Varenna easy. Only 48 kilometers north of Italy’s commercial capital of Milan, Como’s leafy lakeside and stone-paved streets seem a world away. You can see its Roman origins in the orderly grid of streets of its historic center and the remains of the Roman gate, Porta Pretoria. It’s more evident in walled medieval Como, a rare example of Romanesque fortifications, with the imposing Porta Torre (tower gate) at Piazza Vittoria. Chiesa di San Giacomo is a little church located just next to the cathedral. This 12th-century church has a very unique exterior and looks more like a manor or a palace rather than a church.
The important detail to remember here is that cómo with an accent is used as a question word. 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. We’ve also gone into depth on the question words in Spanish, all of which have accents. There’s no question that Bellagio knows it’s the prettiest town on the lake, with its setting on the long point where the lake’s three arms meet. No matter which way you look, the views are superb and usually framed by gardens or carefully maintained buildings. As you stroll past shops, you can’t help notice the abundance of silk; Como has a long history as the center of Italy’s silk manufacture, so it’s a good place to do some shopping.
Como Silk
In a shop near the gate, the Cistercian monks sell herbal lotions, honey, and candies made with products from the abbey gardens. Close to the temple is the beautiful and moving monument commemorating the victims of World War II and the resistance movement. Created by Milan sculptor Gianni Colombo, it incorporates stones from Nazi concentration camps and inscriptions of quotes from those who were victims of the Nazis.
Tempio Voltiano (Alessandro Volta Museum)
- In addition, you can find some nice food tours and cooking classes, which are really nice to do if you have a few hours to spare in Como.
- On the lake shore underneath steep Monte Crocione, Lenno is best known for the villa and gardens that cover Punta di Balbianello, a long peninsula that curves out into the lake.
- Como’s cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta – Duomo di Como) is its most important religious building and the third largest in the whole of Lombardy region.
- We can use como when we want to be intentionally vague about a quantity, for example of weight, time, or distance.
This question word is also the common response when you didn’t hear someone clearly and you need them to repeat what they’ve said, equivalent to what? Pricey shops line its few streets, one of which is a long flight of stone stairs connecting the upper town with the boat landing. Two gardens, one stretching along the lake and the other high above town, are the main tourist attractions – apart from the picture-perfect town itself.
As an absolute minimum, don’t miss the towns of Bellagio and Varenna – both easily reachable from Como by fast ferry. Meeting locals and trying traditional dishes is always a great way to get to know a place better! These include the educational science museum Museo delle scienze Casartelli and the MuRAC Museo Rifugi Antiarei. This is a former air raid shelter that now contains an interesting exhibition about aviation and air defense systems. One of the most unusual churches in Como is the Tempio Sacrario Sport Nautici (Nautic Sports Shrine Temple).
The Baroque villa, built for an 18th-century Cardinal, is surrounded by terraced gardens, where lake views are framed by columns and balustrades. You can tour the lake on a day excursion for the scenery, with a stop or two at towns. Or if you have a bit more time, you can see the major attractions around the lake by hopping on and off the frequent boats and ferries. To tour at leisure and on your own schedule, take two or three days and drive the 249-kilometer perimeter, crossing on the ferry between Varenna and Bellagio. Como is easy to walk around, and its tourist attractions are within walking distance of the train station and boat landing. Como revolves around its lakefront promenade and the adjacent Piazza Cavour, from which you can follow the short Via Plinio to Piazza del Duomo.
- Como can be used in one clause of a sentence to introduce the reason for the outcome in the other clause.
- The views encompass the town and the southern lake, backed by mountains.
- Summer hydrofoil service is fast, but don’t expect to see anything en route.
- The Tempio Voltiano museum sits on the waterfront, too, along with many scenic gardens where you can simply sit and soak up the views.
- Close to the temple is the beautiful and moving monument commemorating the victims of World War II and the resistance movement.
In the high season (mid-April to end-October), it’s normally open daily except Wednesdays, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. When boarding the funicular, try to get into the carriage that’s facing downhill. Sitting right on the shore of Lake Como, the building truly looks like an old Roman temple. The interior of the building is architecturally beautiful, with stunning tiling and elaborate carvings. The western facade is especially impressive, with high columns of statues on either side of the entrance and a rose window.
This use of como can be interpreted with the English expressions acting as or in the role of. The point is that como introduces a function or role that the noun is playing. We can use como when we want to be intentionally vague about a quantity, for example of weight, time, or distance.
You can see the interior, but only on guided hour-long tours, which fill quickly in busy tourist seasons. The highlight is the garden, though, so don’t be too disappointed if you miss a house tour. Regular boat services connect most towns from early spring through fall, but not all routes stop at the smaller towns.
The nicest part of the old town is located como hacer una aplicacion web con python between the lake and the remains of the old city wall, Porta Torre. It’s in this area that you will find most shops, restaurants, quite a few churches, and several museums. You’ve probably heard this expression before, since it’s one of the most common Spanish greetings.
Bookending the harbor are the beautiful gardens of Villa Olmo on the west and the funicular to Brunate on the east, two of the most popular things to do in Como. If you’re feeling energetic, you should definitely visit the Volta Lighthouse when in Brunate. However, keep in mind that the walk to get there involves a steep 30-minute climb up a cobblestone road. But you are well rewarded for your hard work – the views across the Alps and the lowlands surrounding them are simply spectacular.
This will give you enough time to explore the old town, visit the Cathedral, and walk along the lakeside promenade. In addition, you could either take a funicular to Brunate or visit Villa Olmo. It’s used to ask questions in various sentence structures, usually translated into English as how.
Next to Villa Geno is the famous Como fountain (Fontana di Villa Geno) which features an impressive 30-meter-high jet of water. One of the best things to do in Como is to simply explore its old town on foot. This expression can be translated as “just like that” or “as if nothing had happened”.